STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford men’s rowing at the University of Wisconsin have teamed up for a show of strength for brain cancer.
On Thursday, October 1, the two men’s rowing programs will have an erg challenge with the fastest team to 100 km earning bragging rights and the Connor Cup. Both teams will be rowing from their own campus.
Click here to watch the livestream of the Stanford rowers competing on Thursday.
The Connor Cup has been established in the name of Robert Connor Dawes, an Australian rower born in Wisconsin, who passed away of brain cancer in 2013 after a 16-month battle. Connor was looking at both Stanford and Wisconsin during his recruiting process, but unfortunately passed away prior to attending either school.
Connor was Wisconsin born (1994) but Australian raised (2000-2013). Apart from academics which he easily excelled at, his passion was rowing. He began rowing at 14 as a student at Brighton Grammar School in Melbourne Australia. He took the PSAT in year 10 and became a member of the Natl Society of High School Scholars for scoring over 200. He applied to 2 schools to receive further information – Wisconsin and Stanford. He was invited to attend Stanford summer school and received his invitation the day before his surgery. At nearly 6’3” he had the raw strength and mentally was not only bright but extremely strong. He was determined to attend & row for one of these schools, until brain cancer robbed him of the opportunity to even try.
The goal of the challenge is to raise money towards brain cancer research, care and development. Pediatric brain cancer is the second most fatal of childhood cancers in the United States and No. 1 in Australia.
For more information and to support the event, please click here.
