Rowing champions Jackie Gowler (left) and Kerri Williams, with Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe, were invited to Whanganui District Council for recognition of their Olympic success. Photo / Olivia Reid
Rowing champions Jackie Gowler (left) and Kerri Williams, with Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe, were invited to Whanganui District Council for recognition of their Olympic success. Photo / Olivia Reid
Champion rowers Kerri Williams and Jackie Gowler are “still relishing” their Paris Olympics successes as they return to Whanganui where their rowing careers started – and think about their futures.
The sisters trained at the Aramoho-Whanganui Rowing Club and are still club members.
“We are just really honoured to be from Whanganui, it really all started here for us,” Gowler said
As a part of a new initiative by the mayor’s office, Gowler and Williams (nee Gowler) were invited to a ceremony with the Whanganui District Council this week.
“I want to ensure that the district of Whanganui recognises the impact of those individuals that have demonstrated the highest levels of achievement on the world stage, and who have made an impact which might inspire the next generation, and at the same time make us proud,” Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said.
The sisters have a shared total of five Olympic medals for rowing, each earning a silver in the women’s eight at the Tokyo Olympics as well as a gold for Williams in the women’s double.
Gowler and Williams placed third in the women’s four in Paris earlier this year, beating the Romanian crew by 0.44 seconds.
During the ceremony in the council chamber, Gowler recounted how in their training they had practised “Romanian sprints”, not realising that specific skill would solidify their 2024 Olympic success.
“It’s funny that we ended up in a sprint with the Romanians because we incorporated that into our training regime. In hard sessions, we felt we needed to find our limit so we’d do Romanian sprints at the end.
The sisters said they were “still relishing” the excitement of their Paris success.
“It’s always nice to come home and reflect on a campaign, and for me potentially reflecting on my career,” Williams said.
Both women were unsure if they would continue with their competitive rowing careers.
“I’m having a decent break. I always saw Paris as an end game, and I don’t know if it’s fully the end but it’s looking like it at this point,” Gowler said.
“If I reflect on my career to date, the biggest thing that I’ve learned, as a non-negotiable, is to enjoy it.
“I’m ready to try something else, gain some new experience and see what I can sink my teeth into.”
Their potential successors were also at the ceremony, with Whanganui High School student rowers welcoming the sisters into the chamber along with the squad captains, Lauren Davies and William Herd, delivering a speech.
Whanganui High School squad captains Lauren Davies and William Herd hope to be Whanganui's next champion rowers. Photo / Olivia Reid
In September William travelled to Italy as a reserve for the Coastal Sprint Team for the 2024 World Championships after winning the under-17 double at the 2024 Coastal Rowing Beach Sprints Championships in May.
He has been offered a seat to row in the 2024 World Coastal Championship.
In February Lauren brought home a gold medal from the New Zealand Rowing Championships regatta at Lake Karapiro as the coxswain of the men’s novice coxed quad and won the club women’s double at the 2024 Coastal Rowing Beach Sprints Championships in May.
Lauren said she was “star-struck” by the sisters and was inspired by them.
“Seeing they grew up in a smaller town like me, then coming to a slightly bigger town and getting all of these new experiences for rowing is really cool.”
Lauren and William hope to continue Whanganui’s legacy of rowing success and pursue professional careers in competitive rowing.
Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
