Rowing Ireland's agreement to ensure smooth passage to Tokyo Olympics

Irish rowers (from right to left): Sanita Puspure, Monika Dukarska Claire Ferrick, Aifric Keogh pictured alongside Rowing Ireland's new Fiat van. The vehicle is part of a new partnership agreement with Sanity System which was announced on Friday. The four are currently training in Varese Italy. Picture: Rowing Ireland

Rowing Ireland’s road to the Tokyo Olympics will run a little smoother - and safer - thanks to a new partnership agreement.

Sanity System on Friday was confirmed as the official sanitisation solution for the sport.

Crucially, the new deal will also part-fund the acquisition of a new vehicle to transport the team and boats around Europe for training and competition.

Sanity System is an air and surface sanitisation system proven to eliminate Covid-19 in 99.9% of cases. The system can be used in vehicles and rooms and will provide a solution to keep the athletes safe while training and travelling.

Rowing Ireland CEO Michelle Carpenter welcomed the agreement and admitted that the new equipment will give athletes peace of mind as they count down to the Olympics.

Irish rowers (from right to left): Sanita Puspure, Monika Dukarska Claire Ferrick, Aifric Keogh pictured alongside Rowing Ireland's new Fiat van. The vehicle is part of a new partnership agreement with Sanity System which was announced on Friday. The four are currently training in Varese Italy. Picture: Rowing Ireland

And she also revealed the background on how an article on www.irishexaminer.com was the first step towards securing this agreement.

She explained: “The Rowing Ireland truck broke down twice in the last 18 months, once at the side of the autoroute in France where we had to be rescued by a local French rowing club. The second time that the truck broke down our coach Dominic Casey rang me from the side of the autobahn near Freiburg! We had five medals after returning from the European Championships and they were heading to Italy for a camp but our team was stuck on the side of the road.

“The truck was towed to a nearby garage with a local Italian club arriving the following day to pull the boats to our camp in Italy where they have remained.

“Following a plea on social media - which was picked up by our friends in the Irish Examiner - a supporter of our sport put us in touch with Sanity Systems who not only have supplied us with a fantastic new truck but also a safe environment for our athletes at home and abroad.

“We are thrilled with their kindness and their investment in our wonderful team as we head into a crucial part of training for the team with trials, Olympic qualifying regatta, and the Olympic Games within the next number of months.”

She continued: "Protecting our athletes and staff from Covid-19 is key for us right now. We are committed to ensuring the importance of good sanitisation, particularly in our home at the National Rowing Centre.”

David Byrne, Managing Director of Sanity System Ireland commented: “Sanity System has been providing specialist sanitisation equipment to High Performance/Elite athletes and teams for the past number of years and we are delighted with the opportunity to help Team Ireland in achieving their ambitions and compete at the elite level in 2021”.