Hongkonger sets Concept 2 rowing machine world record because she was bored

Claire Burley was given a rest week between intense training for the Hong Kong rowing team but used it for anything but rest. Instead, she set a world record on the Concept 2 rowing machine.

“I was just a bit bored,” said Burley, 26. “I was still working out to keep fit. I was just looking at the world records. I wanted to do a half marathon, as no one had set a world record on slides. But I looked at the 10km one, someone had set a world record and I was looking at the numbers and thought I could probably beat that. So just one afternoon, I just got some slides out and rowed for fun.”

She finished in 41 minutes and 40 seconds, claiming the record for lightweight women (under 61.5kg) between 19 and 29 years old. Burley is annoyed as she thinks she could have gone even faster.

“It was just one of those days where the numbers stay consistent. I didn’t burn out, or die, or anything,” Burley said. “I feel quite good. But I’m quite self-critical, so I’ll also have in the back of my mind that I can beat it. Though, it’s beginning to sink in that it’s still an amazing achievement.”

The journey to international rower and world record-setter has been an incredibly quick and unlikely path. Burley was living in England and working as an actor when the pandemic hit. All of her work quickly dried up so she moved back to Hong Kong.

She has only been rowing for five years, since the start of university. The sport immediately captured her imagination. Burley has dreamed of rowing for Great Britain or Hong Kong, where one of each of her parents are from, but with her acting career, it remained little more than a dream.