Sport Relief saw Sheffield pull together – quite literally

Sport Relief saw Sheffield pull together – quite literally – to raise money for a great cause. The challenge? Well 24 rowers from 12 organisations joined forces to travel 150km in just 12 hours yesterday. Somehow, even my unfit self offered to take on a slot alongside some big names from all types of Sheffield industries. Sheffield Theatres chief executive Dan Bates kicked it all off followed by council cabinet member for business Mazher Iqbal, Sheffield Sharks head coach Atiba Lyons, BBC Radio Sheffield editor Rhidian Jones and scores of other volunteers. What a team we proved – with lots of encouragement from the city’s wonderful para-olympic gold medalist Grace Clough. We didn’t actually cover any miles in the real world but tried our very best on two electronic rowing machines, kindly lent by Decathlon. Passersby on Cambridge Street in the city centre dug deep to throw coins into the charity buckets but also gave shouts of encouragement and even had a go themselves.Atiba set a standard which would have put any of his players to shame. Journalists are renowned for their fitness and I’m sure there are lots of our Star team who would have beaten me but … and it is a but with which I am personally delighted … I finished my 30 minutes triumphantly. I was, not unexpectedly, much closer to the slowest than the fastest but that wasn’t the point. We all did our very best and the true winners will be the people who benefit from the donations and sport as a whole.It is a tough time for everyone with sporting fixtures off at every level. That shouldn’t stop us finding ways to exercise and supporting charities who are more than likely going to need help more than ever soon.I am always proud of this city but that was boosted by what we achieved together yesterday – team Sheffield - and I’m looking forward to the next challenge. Organiser Tim spoke for us all when he said: “Everybody please donate to Sport Relief, it is a really good charity and the work they do is so important. It has been great. I did the first half hour at 7am. Atiba Lyons absolutely smashed it and did a distance of 6,769 metres in 30 minutes and that was the distance to beat.”[email protected]@NancyFielder