Nine members of the Otago University Rowing Club (OURC) were thrilled to compete in the Olympic Legacy Regatta in Japan recently. From left: Hannah Wylie, Jack Pearson, Messina Su’a, Cody Johnson, Olivia Studholme, Fynn Alison, Madison Neale, Sam Barnett and Ella Hansen.
Rowing was the universal language for nine Otago tauira when they competed in an Olympic Legacy Regatta in Japan recently.
An Otago University Rowing Club (OURC) men’s four, a women’s four and coxswain, and coaches Glen Sinclair and Nick Barton attended the regatta held on the Seta River in Otsu, near Kyoto, which is where the New Zealand Rowing team trained before competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Our students were fantastic ambassadors for the University of Otago and New Zealand in general,” Glen says.
“They did whatever was asked of them and were surviving days where they started at 4:30am – in order to train with Kyoto University students – and finished after 10pm.”
They also handled the language barrier like champions, he says.
The regatta included two days of racing, with each day featuring a 7km race. While day one saw the Otago rowers compete in the fours they were used to, day two mixed the teams up, with Otago rowers racing in eights alongside athletes who had been selected from all over Japan to come and row with them as part of a development camp.
“Our coxswain Ella Hansen had to overcome language barriers to get her messages across to her crew for the race. I think there was a bit of quick learning and compromise to use both English and Japanese,” Glen says.
The Otago women’s four won their race on day one. Hannah Wylie – who is doing a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) – says the race was longer than they were used to but their training plan proved solid.
The view also didn’t hurt, she says.
“The Seta River was stunning, and we had a backdrop of nearby mountains and forests for our rows. Even moving into winter, the climate was still sunny and temperate, and the Japanese sunsets and sunrises were breathtaking.”
Bachelor of Arts and Commerce student Cody Johnson says the men’s four came second to a professional Japanese crew on day one, which was a great result.
“We were fortunate to have access to quality equipment from Kyoto University, which allowed us to perform at our best on the water.
“Our performance not only showed our abilities, but also highlighted the strength of rowing at Otago, raising awareness of the talent and potential within New Zealand's rowing scene.”
Hannah says though the language barrier did present some difficulties in the combined teams, it didn’t stop the athletes from connecting.
“After we finished racing, we attended a formal dinner at a nearby restaurant to celebrate the results of the regatta with our new friends. They were all extremely friendly and exchanged contact details with us, promising to visit Otago in the future.
“They also gave us a number of recommendations for activities to do before leaving Kyoto, which was really helpful for the remainder of our trip.”
As well as sightseeing, there were opportunities for students to tour facilities in line with their studies.
Sports science students were shown around Biwako Seikei Sports College, which was a highlight for Madison Neale, who is doing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in exercise and sport science.
“At this visit, we conducted VO2max tests and I was in charge of taking the blood lactate of the participants.
“This was a really insightful opportunity as I was able to visualise what I have been learning whilst studying sport and exercise at Otago.”
Hannah and her fellow health sciences tauira had the opportunity to tour Kyoto University Hospital.
“We received an in-depth tour of the facilities. Then we were able to scrub in and observe a real-life laparoscopic surgery. It was an amazing experience we won’t soon forget.”
The Otago rowers also visited Otsu Junior High School where they answered questions about rowing and then held a coaching session on the rowing machines.
For tauira Jack Pearson – who’s working towards a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws – the school trip was a highlight.
“The kids were the most coachable I’ve ever met. I think we honestly accomplished more with kids who barely spoke English in 30 minutes than I had in a day of coaching before, and it solidified for me that I would want to coach once I’m finished rowing myself.
“It felt great to give back a little to the people that had been so nice to us. These kinds of experiences stay with you for a lifetime and are some of the best times a student can have while at Otago.”