DOCUMENTARY: A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING

Fundraiser

The film A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in the USA, made up of young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago, all coming together to row in the same boat. It has won several international awards and was named one of the best films of 2020 by Esquire.

Growing up on Chicago's Westside in the 90's, Arshay Cooper knows the harder side of life. The street corners are full of gangs, the hallways of his apartment complex are haunted by junkies he calls "zombies' ' with strung out arms, clutching at him as he passes by. His mother is a recovering addict, and his three siblings all sleep in a one room apartment, a small infantry against the war zone on the street below.

Arshay keeps to himself, preferring to write poetry about the girl he has a crush on, and spends his school days in the home-ec kitchen dreaming of becoming a chef. And then one day as he's walking out of school he notices boats lined up on the floor of the gymnasium, and a poster that reads "Join the Crew Team". Arshay, having no idea what the sport of crew is, decides to take a chance. This decision to join is one that will forever change his life, and those of his fellow teammates.

As Arshay and his teammates begin to come together, learning not only how to row, many never having been in water before, the sport takes them from the mean streets of Chicago, to the hallowed halls of the Ivy League. But Arshay and his teammates face adversity at every turn, from racism, gang violence, and a sport that has never seen anyone like them before. A Most Beautiful Thing is the inspiring true story about the most unlikely band of brothers that form a family, and forever change a sport and their lives for the better.

HOW ARSHAY AND HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE STRENGTHENED THE LAWHILL PROGRAMME

Impressed by the rowing talent he encountered at Lawhill, Arshay Cooper mobilised rowing equipment specialist, Concept2, to help grow what he calls ‘the meditative sport of rowing’ by donating much-needed sports equipment to our programme and that of UWC. 

Additionally, he invited three talented South African rowers - Thobeka Mavundla, Athabile Msindo, and Curtley van Wyk -  to join him in the USA for an annual rowing camp hosted by his foundation, A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund (AMBIF).  This gave the three young South African rowers the opportunity to compete against top rowers from the USA, UK and Bahamas.

Athabile Msindo, the vice-captain of the CCRC/Lawhill 2024 team, was rather anxious about competing against 21 more experienced rowers when selected to attend a rowing and leadership camp in the USA .  But he needn't have been. Despite having only a few hours training in a 'fine boat' a few days before he left Cape Town, he went on to beat 18 of the 22 rowers, securing an impressive fourth place in the final rowing time-trial competition.

Arshay has also helped start several rowing programs for low-income youth across the country, anywhere a puddle of water exists, so that other young people can experience the profound change that can happen on the water.