River observers over last weekend may have noticed a larger than usual contingent of young female rowers training from the Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club boat house.
A squad of New Zealand Women's Under 21 and Junior (Under 19) scullers ventured onto the placid waters at Aramoho under designated lead coaches Nick Barton and Fiona Bourke.
Barton, now based at Lake Karāpiro, as the lead coach of the NZ Junior Rowing Programme, is no stranger to Whanganui, having attended Whanganui Collegiate School in the mid 1990s and was a member of the first VIII for two years. He has built an impressive rowing coaching background at school, university, and with NZ Junior Women's crews.
Bourke, born and raised in Takapau, did not commence rowing until she attended Otago University. She progressed rapidly, representing New Zealand in various crews from 2010, culminating in winning the gold medal at the World Championships in 2014 with Zoe Stephenson in the women's double sculls.
Bourke commented that her international rowing career was led by Dick Tonks and while she had previously raced on the Whanganui River, it was great to be coaching on the same water that Dick had learned and applied his outstanding skills.
