Medal haul for Masters rowers

WENDOUREE Ballarat Rowing Club’s Lee Martin has brought home three gold and three bronze medals from the Australian Masters Rowing Championships in South Australia.

Martin said the four days of competition at Adelaide’s West Lakes were fun and challenging, packed full of close races.

“Andrew Leehane, from Ballarat City Rowing Club, and I rowed two mixed doubles in two different age categories. We won bronze in the C2x and gold in the D2x,” she said.

“Andrew and I have been rowing together for a little while, and he pushes me, which is great.

“It’s always nice to come away with a win for your state, and I represented Victoria in an interstate quad race, winning gold with rowers from Melbourne and Barwon Rowing clubs. That same crew doubled up in the D4x, and we won that race as well.”

Martin also took home bronze in a mixed 4x with Ballarat City’s Leehane, Kathy Lloyd and Essendon Rowing Club’s Tim Juzefowicz, and bronze in a women’s B-division quad alongside three rowers from Tasmania.

On the water, Martin said every racer is always competitive, but off-water the Masters are a very social event.

“It was really nice to catch up with a lot of people that I haven’t seen for a long time, especially from interstate because with the current COVID situation it’s been very hard.

“We’re a strong community of rowers who love to get together and have a chat, and reminisce about old races,” she said.

“Victoria is looked upon as being a strong rowing state, so to be part of that crew and be able to uphold that high standard was also very prestigious.”

Martin only returned to the Ballarat rowing scene this year and credits her recent success to positive thinking and passion.

“It goes to show if you can put your mind to something, it’s always achievable.

“Rowing is a great sport, and once it’s in your blood you want to keep going back to it when you can. You need to follow the things you enjoy. They make your heart sing,” she said.

Ballarat City’s Meg Merrylees, Lisa Mentz, Anita Houlihan and Ebony Ebenwaldner competed in the WC4x final and won the fastest club crew medal.

Leehane also won bronze in the MD4x and MC8-plus, while Lloyd won bronze in the WE2x and silver in the WE8-plus.