Connor’s Erg 2025
Connor’s Erg Challenge 2025
10 years of rowing our hearts out for brain cancer
Hosted by the Robert Connor Dawes (RCD) Foundation, Connor’s Erg is a rowing challenge to help raise funds and awareness for kids with brain cancer. In 2025 the Foundation celebrates 10 years, and invites gyms, schools, rowing clubs and individuals to register, and set their own rowing challenge or join the 120 minute in-person Melbourne event.
About Connor’s Erg Challenge
Connor’s Erg Challenge is a literal show of strength against childhood brain cancer that is presented by the Robert Connor Dawes (RCD) Foundation and hosted by each participating university, school, gym or rowing team. Traditionally the teams row a virtual 100K relay during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Teams can keep the Valentine’s Day tradition alive and pick a day during Valentines’ Day week, or another date in the month of February.
The live event (returning for a second year) will take place at Greenfields Albert Park, where teams of 4-6 will compete in a 120-minute relay challenge.
Connor’s Erg Challenge is hosted in memory of Robert ‘Connor’ Dawes who was born in Wisconsin in 1994. A child of two countries, Connor spent most of his life living in Australia and loving America. Connor applied to Wisconsin and Stanford Universities and was invited to attend Stanford summer school the day before his brain tumour surgery. Connor was determined to study and row, until he was robbed of the chance. Connor passed away
“Support from events like Connor’s Erg Challenge helps to spur innovative research, because that kind of flexible funding provides brain tumor scientists with the ability to test new hypotheses and go in new scientific directions,” said Michelle Monje, a preeminent paediatric brain cancer researcher at Stanford.
Money raised will also go towards high impact research projects such as the Brain Cancer Vaccine Project at The University of Queensland.
The event has raised close to $650,000 during its first nine challenges; this year’s Australian event goal is to raise an additional $50,000.