Telethon 2023: Crews to compete at Rowing WA Corporate Regatta in Mount Pleasant

Cats and water don’t really mix, so you would think a rowing regatta is the last place in the world you’d see WA’s most famous feline.

Yet on Saturday Fat Cat will be rowing the boat — both in spirit and on the rashie sleeves of the Roy Hill crews — as they attempt to take out the Rowing WA Corporate Regatta in Mount Pleasant.

Roy Hill, Bellevue Gold and Rail Systems Australia will be taking to the water to test their mettle after weeks, and in some cases months, of preparations.

Elite race times cannot be promised, but enthusiasm certainly can.

In the case of Roy Hill, it’s also an opportunity to include some of their charity partners in the journey.

The specially-designed rash shirts have the striking Telethon pyjama print on the arms, with the front and back of the shirts representing Solaris Cancer Care, the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Movember.

Roy Hill have been a Million Dollar Partner of Telethon since 2021, last year donating $1 million with a further $2 million coming from Executive Chairman Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting.

Mrs Rinehart is also the patron of Rowing Australia and the Australian Rowing Team, a fact which Hancock Group Operations chief executive Gerhard Veldsman said had been driving the team during their early-morning training sessions.

“The Roy Hill rowing team have been out on the water for seven weeks before dawn, conquering the cold and challenges head on together,” he said.

“We’ll be proudly wearing our charity partners, including Telethon, Solaris Breast Cancer Care, and men’s health initiatives, on our team uniform for extra motivation. This journey is all about hustle and heart.”

Rowing WA chief executive Daniel Tackenberg said he expected a competitive race.

“The links between business and rowing . . . there’s certainly a great alignment in terms of the mental fortitude, hard work and teamwork that’s required to make a boat go fast,” he said.

“They’ve been training pretty hard for the last six to eight weeks, getting out on the water two or three times a week rain, hail or shine, in the dark. They’re pretty excited.”

The Corporate Regatta will be broadcast live, free and on demand on Streamer from 10am Saturday.