As a result of her individual performance at the recent Maadi Cup, Olivia Anderson (Year 13) has been awarded a New Zealand U19 trial. Here’s how this prestigious achievement came about, in her own words.

Waking up after coming home from the New Zealand Secondary Schools Champs (Maadi Cup), after a night out celebrating the season and actually being able to complete a Maadi this year, there was a text on my phone from my coach, Kim Dowden, congratulating me on being selected to trial. I ran into my sister’s room and started screaming! After rowing for four years, battling through various lockdowns, and devoting a lot of time and commitment  to the sport – not to mention the commitment from my coaches, parents, friends and other family – I finally secured a trial for the U19 New Zealand rowing squad! This was something I never thought would ever happen as I’ve always been more of a quiet achiever and just put my head down to get the work done.

I was overjoyed when I got selected and am very excited to experience the trial at the end of April!

The trials will take place from Saturday 24 April to Friday 30 April, where I will undergo a 2k erg test on the first day, followed by multiple seat races throughout the duration of the week. An erg test is the primary tool coaches use to determine an athlete’s fitness and strength.

I started rowing as a novice U15 rower, and continued through as an U18 for the past four years at high school, representing both Westlake Girls High School and North Shore Rowing Club. In 2019, in the U17 Squad, I rowed up with 3 U18s (Sylvia Leadly, Devon Thorpe, and Nyla Bunya and coxed by Jamie Whittaker) and won at the North Island Championship and Maadi!

The following year we won silver at the North Island champs in the U18 quad, however Maadi was cancelled due to Level 4 Lockdown, so we didn’t get to produce a final result one last time together.

As those girls left I started to sweep more (one oar rowed with both hands) as I stroked (rowed) the U18 pair this season, as well as U18 four and U18 eight. This season at Maadi (North Islands cancelled due to Lockdown), we came 4th in the A final for the U18 four and medaled silver in the North Island placings. We placed 1st in the B final for our U18 eight, having devastatingly just missed getting a place in the A final.