A British Olympic and world champion rower – and former Gordonstoun pupil – has officially opened the new-look Nairn sports club.
Heather Stanning, who rowed in the women’s pair with partner Helen Glover to win gold at both the London and Rio Olympics, described the facilities as “fantastic.”
The £280,000 refurbishment involved building a new modern gym, upgrading the changing rooms and creating a new social space inside a glass-fronted entrance to the building.
The project has been in the pipeline for three years given the growing membership at the club, which currently stands at about 930 members.
Ms Stanning, who grew up in Lossiemouth and still has family in the area, said: “Community centres and sports centres like this are really important, especially in the north of Scotland.
“I grew up here and developed as an individual. I went to university in England and learned to row but the athlete was born up here. To youngsters, this is where you are made and it’s fantastic to see facilities like this.”
Ms Stanning retired from rowing after Rio and is now focusing on her career as an Army Major in the Royal Artillery. She was also awarded the Freedom of Moray after the games in 2016.
In 2013 she went on tour in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where she had to keep up her training on the rowing machine.
On Friday afternoon, she was joined by a crowd of about 70 club members – who own the club – to officially open the new-look facility in Nairn.
Pauline Barron, development manager at the club, said the new gym will enable more people to make use of extra cardiovascular machines and stretching areas, whereas the existing gym focuses on free weights.
It has also resulted in new changing facilities with private shower cubicles – a far cry from the communal showers which had been at the building since its construction in 1979.
The extension will also be the catalyst for extra room for age-focused group sessions and enhanced space for storing sports equipment. The club’s age range is between five and 90 years old.
Ms Barron said the club is also aiming to refurbish the sports hall and the sports hall roof.
Club president Steve Jack also thanked the Davidson Trust and the Robertson Trust, the Scottish Government Leader fund and Highland Council for their funding help to get the extension. The club also raised £15,000 of their own money.
He added: “Without this support this extension would not have been possible. The community deserves this facility.”
