🏔️ Final Report of the Visegrad Rowing Academy Winter Camp

The joint winter training camp held under the Visegrad Rowing Academy and supported by the International Visegrad Fund successfully brought together four countries, four rowing clubs, and more than one hundred participants in a unique sport-educational project.

👥 A total of 103 athletes and coaches from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland took part in the camp.

🚣‍♂️ More than 80 young rowers had the opportunity to meet each other, train together, and gain valuable language experience while sharing different training approaches and technical skills.

🎯 The main focus of the camp was joint training and post-training preparation beyond traditional rowing practice, with an emphasis on cross-country skiing, regeneration, mental preparation, and the overall development of young athletes.

🏃‍♂️ Sport, Recovery & Education

Under the guidance of club coaches and hired ski instructors, participants worked intensively on improving their cross-country skiing technique.

🧘‍♀️ Daily regeneration sessions, stabilisation exercises, and stretching quickly became a natural part of everyday life at the camp.

🩺 The physiotherapy programme was led by physiotherapist Sára Ševčíková, who delivered a professional workshop focused on injury prevention, proper movement habits, and the importance of recovery in the training process.

🎭 The cultural, accompanying, and overall camp programme was coordinated by Alexandra Vilímková, who ensured the smooth running of the entire event, daily organisation, and social activities.

⛷️ The skiing and sports training of younger participants and beginners was led by Tereza Ševčíková, who also managed social media communication and shared daily moments from the camp with the wider public.

🌍 Intercultural Dimension & Expert Programme

🗣️ Tuesday was dedicated to mutual understanding, language differences, and cultural diversity among the participating countries. A joint pub quiz proved to be a highlight of the day and was warmly received by Hungarians, Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks alike.

🎓 Coaches also exchanged valuable experiences related to cultural traditions and different approaches to athlete development.

Before the main psychology programme, Slovak coach Miro Škulec introduced younger rowers to pre-race preparation from a referee’s perspective, offering a practical insight into competition environments.

🧠 Wednesday featured sports psychologist Michal Vičar, who led a joint workshop for coaches on motivation, pre-competition stress, and coping strategies. This was followed by two dedicated sessions for young rowers.

💻 Coaches then continued with discussions on modern trends in sport, including IT systems for club management, training applications, and performance analytics. The exchange of experience was highly beneficial for all participants.

🎉 Thursday was devoted to the final evaluation of the camp, farewells, and informal gatherings. At the same time, first ideas for the Winter Camp 2027 were already emerging.

🤝 A Strong Foundation for Future Cooperation

Overall, the joint vision of the winter camp supported by the International Visegrad Fund was fulfilled 100%. The project confirmed that combining sport, education, and intercultural dialogue creates powerful value and builds solid foundations for long-term cooperation between clubs and countries.

🙏 Sincere thanks go to all participating clubs, coaches, and athletes, as well as to the International Visegrad Fund for its support and to Hotel Petrovy kameny for providing excellent facilities.

We leave with new knowledge, friendships, and motivation to continue — and with great enthusiasm for future collaboration.