ADF rowers won five medals in the open, masters and grade events at the ACT Rowing Championships on the Yarramundi Reach Rowing Course, from March 2-3.
The men placed second in single and double scull events, as well as third in the men’s eight and men’s pair. An ADF female entrant also came third in the women’s single scull.
Team vice-captain Lieutenant Colonel Rohan Jayawardena said they had the highest number of ADF participants for an ACT Championship event in several years.
Mustering local participants and those from nearby regions had historically been the greatest challenge, but the availability of rowers this year was fortuitous.
The stroke of the ADF men’s eight, Lieutenant Commander Patrick Czakilew, said rowing was a full mind-and-body sport requiring composure, endurance and teamwork.
“You have to stay calm throughout the race, while pushing those physical boundaries to their limits,” he said.
In a sport where everything needed to be synchronised, Lieutenant Colonel Jayawardena said the team members needed to be familiar with each other.
When the teams had little time to row together before a meet, it was the ADF’s training that filled the gap, he said.
“Our people are trained in physical skills, PT, drills, and a culture of teamwork. This is our advantage,” Lieutenant Colonel Jayawardena said.
Lieutenant Commander Czakilew praised their latest recruit, Lieutenant Commander Jessica Kuk, for her performance in her first competition.
He said for someone who had not competed at a rowing event before, she did very well.
“While we’re gearing up for our big event and the focus is on high performance, there’s always opportunity for new members to compete,” Lieutenant Commander Czakilew said.
The ADF Rowing team will compete in the 2024 Australian Masters Rowing Championships in Tasmania in May.
This meet will showcase Australia’s best rowers and will be ADF Rowing’s premier event.
