The Big Strong Gorls (BSGs) are delighted to announce, with the support of Powerhouse Sport, who are official Rowing Ireland sponsors, the launch of the BSG x Powerhouse fund. The aim of this fund is to financially support the next generation of junior girls within the Rowing Ireland selection process. Sport can be a costly endeavour and this fund was established to help remove some financial barriers. The fund will be financed by sales from the BSG Powerhouse Sport store that will go live on Saturday 6th May 2023. The application process for the fund will also open on this date.
The idea of the BSGs was brought about on a senior women’s Rowing Ireland winter training camp in 2019. A simple Instagram account that started off as a bit of fun tracking our team’s journey to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has grown into a huge network of BSGs from all over the world. While it is primarily a way for people to stay up to date with the training and racing schedule of the Rowing Ireland senior rowing team, it is now also an outlet to showcase and support women and young girls in sport.
In 2021 the BSGs launched, in conjunction with Powerhouse sport who have maintained support to Rowing Ireland as official sponsors for a significant number of years, a specially designed BSG rowing suit. This proved to be a hugely popular venture nationwide, with the combination of a demand for BSG rowing suits and the energy that it spread, specifically with younger crews, inspiring the team to create a legacy fund for young female rowers.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the scholarship, Olympic Bronze medallist and co-founder of the BSG brand, Aifric Keogh said,
“Once we saw that Powerhouse were inundated with orders, and we started spotting the latest recruits training in the BSG colours at local clubs, international regattas and even at the odd crossfit gym, we were inspired to do more! The brand doesn’t just represent the senior international team anymore, it’s a community of athletes that empower and support each other.
With this in mind, it was an obvious choice to support the upcoming junior talent with the proceeds from the sales made thus far. To increase the impact of this fund we have decided to design a full collection of custom BSG training kit. The line not only includes our latest BSG rowing suit, gilet and leggings – we’ve also catered for cyclists this time with a BSG cycling jersey and shorts plus some casual items for after training too. By buying an item from the store you will be directly supporting the fund and in turn backing the next generation”.
The BSGs were established in 2019. They won European Championship medals in 2020, an Olympic medal in 2021 and World Championship medals in 2022. The aim is that this fund is not only a financial contribution but will also encourage and support the stars of the future to reach their potential and play their part in the BSG legacy.
For more details, please see www.powerhousesport.com, follow us @big_strong_gorls_irl on Instagram or contact aifrickeogh@gmail.com
