Hawke's Bay's Madeleine Parker makes NZ rowing Under 23 women's sculls team

Hawke's Bay rower Madeleine Parker competing at the New Zealand rowing nationals at Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel, in February. Photo / Supplied

Madeleine Parker from Hawke's Bay Rowing Club has been selected for the New Zealand Under 23 Women's sculling squad.

At 18 years old, Madeleine is the youngest member of the Women's Sculling Squad and the only U23 squad member from Hawke's Bay.

She said she almost didn't believe the news when she was told she had made it in.

"All the girls are quite a bit older than me. The other sculling girls are 22."

She said this is her fifth year of doing rowing as a sport.

"Mum and dad told me I should sign up because they said I'd always been quite strong and fit, so I should just give it a go."

Last year she successfully trialled for the New Zealand under 19 women's team.

"We were meant to go to Bulgaria and go to the world champs, but we couldn't because of Covid, so it was just training camps to try and develop us."

She has also received a full ride scholarship with the University of Virginia as part of her rowing, which is set to start in August.

She got second in the woman's senior single and fifth in the women's senior double at the New Zealand Rowing Champs in February, ahead of the U23 trials.

The U23 national trials took place at Lake Karāpiro from February 21–25.

She said some of what the trials involved included a 2km ergometer test on a rowing machine, seat racing and 2km time trials down the rowing course.

She said there were about 20 girls who got a trial and only eight were selected.

She said she hadn't met her new squadmates before the trials.

"I knew of them. Because lots of them are older, I kind of looked up to them in some ways and wanted to be like them, but I hadn't met most of them."

She said they haven't decided the squad arrangement for races yet since there are another three girls in America on scholarships that could be joining either the Women's Sweep Squad or the Women's Sculling Squad.

"We're meeting them in Italy for the training camp for a month and we'll know then. We just have to train in singles and doubles up until then."

The squad will be going to Italy in July for a month-long training camp, and to compete at the rowing world champs.

She said Covid had made it so she had to miss out on a lot of events, but she is hopeful that more will soon be able to go ahead.

"It's getting better now, I think things are going to start happening now."