The Crew Cut

‘UK Adventurer Runs Length of New Zealand’ screamed the headline in The Waikato Times, New Zealand’s famous North Island newspaper. Then hundreds of excited school children laid on a huge, warm welcome for the new star in town. When adventurer-athlete Anna McNuff, currently our furthest-flung Crewroom Ambassador, took on the challenge of running the equivalent of 76 marathons, she had little idea of what she was letting herself in for. Brave Anna has endured swamps and jungles, climbed snow-capped mountains and circled sun-kissed lakes of stunning beauty. She’s also treated her fans back home to a daily diary of hilarious anecdotes and inspiring videos that she’s filmed herself, literally while on the run. Anna, 30, has thrilled local schoolchildren and been moved by their heart-warming messages of support. Her epic adventure has seen some casualties though – she’s already killed off four pairs of running shoes. "This is actually a huge experiment," said Anna. "I've done some endurance stuff on bikes and I have a background as a rower but I've not run long distances before." In the town of Feilding, central North Island, in the Manawatu region, Anna struck lucky. Back in London, at Crewroom HQ, Sophie O’Brien in Sales Support had a great idea. Sophie linked up her Mum and Dad, Jill and Shane, who live in NZ, with Anna. And Sophie’s folks generously offered the weary traveller a bed for the night - and a fortifying, slap-up feast of traditional Kiwi roast lamb, mint sauce and kumera (local sweet potatoes). "I was thrilled Anna stopped over at my house and that my Mum and Dad were able to offer her some traditional Kiwi hospitality,” said Sophie. “With all that running, Anna clearly needed a decent meal." Next day, Anna sped off again like a rocket! At Hamilton's Deanwell Primary School, Waikato, Anna drew giggles from pupils as she showed them her "magic" cheer-me-up running trousers, part of her inspiring talk. "A couple of years ago I just decided to start exploring the world, but under human power," she told them. "When I'm 80 years old I want to look back at my life and think it was awesome." We already think you’re awesome, Anna! Keep going.

As crews from around the world descend on Henley in Oxfordshire next month hoping to win cups and set rowing records, Crewroom will also be setting a record of its own. During the five-day span of this year’s Henley Royal Regatta (Wednesday July 1st to Sunday July 5th inclusive), we will stage our largest-ever presence at the event, with a triple marquee in the Henley trade village. We’ll be showcasing the fabulous JL retail range from our friends in California, and also selling the Hudson Shark merchandise, so popular at the moment. A wide range of uni-suits, tank tops, leggings, jackets and gilets will all be on sale, ablaze with an array of greys, blacks and reds. We’re also out and about in June, at the Reading Amateur Regatta (Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June) and Henley Women's Regatta (June 19th - 21st). Again, JL’s finest apparel will be on sale, and we’ll also be promoting our new women's Americana range, which includes the Sidney D Vest, the Lunges Knee Crop, and the Crinkle Cut Jacket. Spectators and rowers alike will be keen to see our latest kit no doubt – but there’s one other item that’s proving a runaway hit with the sporting community. Now on special offer at our summer regattas, it’s Crewroom’s handy Changing Kit, which has all the tools you need to change discreetly and dry off quickly when you’ve been out on the water. This compact item (RRP £65) is produced in one size, with a handy black storage bag and a blue microfibre changing robe. It doubles as a pillow and you can use the bag to store all your wet or dirty gear. The thick neoprene bag converts into a changing mat, and the mat includes non-slip foot pads. Finally, it also protects your feet from sharp objects or the dirty ground when you’re changing. Royal Henley, the most colourful and prestigious rowing event on the UK sporting calendar, marks the date when spectators from dozens of countries flock to the UK to watch the world’s top rowers. And Crewroom is honoured to be flying the flag for Britain at the water’s edge with our award-winning kit.

The booming craze of stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) made a big splash in Putney last month when Crewroom helped launch the capital’s first inner-London SUP club. The new club, named SUP London, was opened at Crewroom’s Hub HQ on the Embankment and marked a new collaboration between Crewroom and Active360, the trailblazing company behind the sport’s amazing growth in popularity. The launch was awash with media, generating waves of positive publicity. ITV arrived to record a short film about the event, which was aired on their evening news bulletin and watched by over 5 million viewers. Watch it here. Crewroom Founder Kate Giles said: "Stand-up paddleboarding is fun and fantastic for building your fitness. We are delighted to team up with Active360, and our new club, SUP London, taps up one of our greatest under-used resources, the River Thames." Paul Hyman, Founder of Active360 and one of the UK's most experienced SUP guides, has already coached (with his team) more than 6,000 newcomers to the sport since Active360 was founded in 2011. "Putney is such a historic and picturesque part of the Thames and claims a rich sporting history, of which stand-up paddleboarding and SUP London are now proudly playing a part,” said Paul. “Our club offers people a great opportunity to try out a new sport and make new friends on the water." On launch day, there were trips, free lessons and some SUP racing, too. Around 50,000 people are expected to enjoy SUP across the UK this year, up on last year’s figure of 35,000. The sport is increasingly popular with newcomers and more experienced paddlers, who range from aged 7-70+. More than 50 per cent of paddlers are women. Crewroom has created a special bespoke new range of kit designed to support stand-up paddleboarders, including The Elemental Paddle Jacket, which has a waterproof shell, soft carbonised bamboo lining and straps to attach lights or your paddle when not in use. Also proving popular are Crewroom's Elemental Paddle Gloves, mitten-style gloves that use neoprene to protect your hands from the wind and rain and whose palms have a silicone grip. To book a SUP session, visit: www.active360.com

If you’re planning on fitting in a “long run” this weekend, you might impress your friends – but you won’t cut any ice with Crewroom Ambassador Laraine Wyn-Jones, who’s just off on a 700-mile jog. Blogger Laraine and her friend Sarah Morton have just set off on a six-week trek across Scotland to raise £5,000 for charity and we’re delighted to support their expedition with Crewroom kit. The intrepid duo are running off-road from the most westerly spot in the UK at Ardnamurchan Point to the most northerly, at John o’ Groats. They’ll pass along the very north-west edge of Scotland, following much of the wild and rugged 200-mile Cape Wrath Trail, and will include a total ascent of 80,000ft, which is almost three times the height of Everest. One of the charities Laraine is raising money for is The Stroke Association. It’s a cause close to her heart after her husband Owain suffered a stroke – at the age of 30. Luckily, Owain (pictured above) made an excellent recovery five years on, and Laraine is determined to highlight the work the charity do in raising awareness and understanding of stroke, particularly in younger people. “Back in February 2009, we had been at a friend’s house for dinner, and when we got up next morning, Owain felt a bit fuzzy and wobbly. We thought he had a hangover and laughed at him. “Then I realized it was more serious. We didn't think it could be a stroke because of his age. He was quickly in an ambulance and straight to hospital. He was in for a week. “Flagging up the dangers of stroke is really important, as this can happen to anyone from a baby to someone who is very old,” says Laraine. Laraine, 33, a former IT project manager from Telford in Shrophire, and Sarah, 32, from St. Andrews, who’s studying for a PHD in adventure sports, complete their trek next month. You can support Laraine’s trek and other feats here.

It's become one of the capital's most popular and iconic sporting events and now Crewroom is playing a special new role in this year's Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon – we’re official sponsor to the most exclusive VIP running squad taking part in the race, Team Squirrel. The 13.1-mile race takes place across London on Sunday October 11th and with many of Crewroom’s friends now well into their training schedule, Crewroom Founder Kate Giles felt it was time to lead by example. Team Squirrel, the Royal Parks Foundation’s exclusive squad, has a mascot, Chester The Squirrel – so who better, we thought, to put Kate through her paces than Chester? Crewroom is sponsoring Team Squirrel for the first time and we already produce the race shirts for the half marathon. Plus, we’ll be there promoting our running kit on the day, too. “It was a thrill to meet Chester 'in the flesh' (well almost),” said Kate. “To my surprise, he was quite fit and it was rather a struggle to keep up with him.” Kate's training run with Chester (who completes the half marathon himself on race day) was the first of a string of events Crewroom is getting involved in to support the event. On June 2, Baz Moffat, Crewroom's resident personal trainer and a former international rower, took to the web to answer questions from runners on Facebook. Endurance athlete Baz, who is a World Championship bronze medalist who also ran her own personal training fitness company, spent an hour answering runners’ queries and offering tips and advice on training. On Wednesday June 24 at 12.30pm, (make a note in your diary), Crewroom's physiotherapist Paul White, who practices at the White Hart clinic in Barnes, will host a Facebook Q&A session on injury prevention. And our Baz will be back on Facebook again at 12.30pm on Tuesday July 21 to answer your questions, this time about sports nutrition. To join in the online conversations, check out The Team Squirrel event page, found on the Royal Parks Foundation Facebook page, then simply post your questions there and we’ll respond. Also, stay tuned to this bulletin for more details of a Team Crewroom training run, planned for August in the run-up to race day. For more top tips, expert advice and fun events, please ask your running friends to sign up to this newsletter here.

Newly-elected MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields Justine Greening mingled with Crewroom guests at a VIP party when we toasted Oxford as winners of both the women's and the men's Boat Races last month. Justine, (pictured above, left, with Crewroom Founder Kate Giles), was been working hard meeting constituents before the General Election, found time to pop into our Hub HQ on Putney Embankment as the rowing crews sped past. It was an historic occasion for the rowers, as this year was the first time in the events' history that women rowers had competed on the same stretch of water and on the same day as the men. To mark the occasion, and to signal her support for businesses in the constituency, Justine, who was appointed Secretary of State for International Development in 2012, also splashed out on a Crewroom Tree top. As she posed for a Boat Race snap with our Kate, Justine said: "I'm delighted to support local businesses like Crewroom." Kate added: "As official kit supplier to all the races, the women and the men in both Oxford and Cambridge crews, we clothed everyone on the water this year. It was an honour to be involved in such an historic occasion. And we were delighted Justine was able to join us." Kate was also asked to air her views on the race by Sky TV News, and was duly fitted with earpiece and microphone and a camera crew filmed her by the River as the elite racing crews took to the water. Crewroom remains the official kit supplier for the Boat Race women's and men's crews again next year, when Cambridge will surely be seeking their revenge.