A Marathon challenge to make the boat go faster!

It’s safe to say that anyone who has spent some time at a Matillion HQ or with Team Green will inevitably have heard the phrase “Make the boat go faster.”

We mention it often. It serves as a guide to focus on what is really important within the business and was inspired by Ben Hunt-Davis, the Olympic gold medalist who shared his incredible talk on "Making the Boat Go Faster” at our Super All Hands a few years back. 

Never one to miss an opportunity for a great analogy, we embraced this ethos in a literal challenge: rowing a marathon down the Thames.

The Great River Race

This September, a team of 16 Matillioners are set to take part in the Great River Race, a 21.6 mile race from Millwall to Richmond, that will take us past iconic landmarks such as Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament. 

We’re rowing in a skiff, a new experience for all of our team members - it’s worth noting at this point that we have no significant rowing experience and have never worked directly together before.

The 16 team members come from across the business including Sales, Product, Security, and our CEO, Matthew Scullion. They’ve taken to the water to practise everywhere from the Lake District to Knaresborough and Wales. 

Personally, I see this challenge as the perfect embodiment of our drive at Matillion. It’s about pushing boundaries, working together, and focusing on what truly matters – all principles we strive to apply in our daily work.

The team is rowing to support a range of charitable causes, including Malaika, a charity founded by one of our previous speakers at Super All Hands, Noella Coursaris, which focuses on empowering African girls through education and health programs. 

Other charities include the Hoplite Fund, which supports military personnel and their families, and Alzheimer’s UK.

Our goal is to raise £5,000 for these worthy causes.

Preparation and training

Training for this marathon has been challenging, especially given the dearth of opportunities to bring together a dispersed team and rent a suitable vessel. Most of our training has been done individually on terra firma. 

When I asked the team for their thoughts, this is what they had to say:

"Preparing for The Great River Race has been difficult, particularly due to the lack of rowing-specific equipment (aside from your standard rowing machines). Despite this, I’m really enjoying the journey. I’m so pleased to be able to raise funds for Family Action, a charity that’s really close to my heart.

This event is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the strength of our team at Matillion. We’re all really looking forward to showcasing our ability to make the boat go faster as a team."

Mark Chadwick, Matillion Senior Service Desk Analyst

"It's a new challenge for us, something to bring us together, to challenge us and to prove there's still plenty in the tank! There's some great people who have signed up and I'm confident we are going to achieve our mission!"

Steve Warburton, Matillion Director of Quality Operations

Stay tuned for more updates on the team’s journey and how you can contribute to their fundraising efforts. Let’s cheer on our Matillioners as they do their best to literally make the boat go faster!