Oaks Christian student creates rowing club in Ventura County

Harrison Zilli, a student at Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, loves competing in rowing, but the drive from his home in Simi Valley to Marina del Rey became too demanding, so he took action himself to create his own rowing club in Ventura County.

The 805 Rowing Club is now based at Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. It’s officially registered with the U.S. Rowing Assn. and petitioned for a special permit from the harbor director.

He even found a coach in Nick Kenworthy-Browne, who was a crew coach at Oxford and USC. And he found a storeage area for an eight-man boat with help from the U.S. Coast Guard.

The club of high school students, boys and girls, trains on the water Saturday mornings and in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

It’s clear when Harrison decides to do something, he doesn’t get stopped.

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