Three up-and-coming UQ athletes have been selected to represent Australia in international rowing competitions.
Cameron Smith and Thomas Amies are part of the Australian junior team, while Jake Edwards has been named a member of the junior development squad touring New Zealand later this month.
Cameron and Thomas will both compete at the 2010 World Junior Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic in August.
For Cameron, a first-year Bachelor of Engineering student, competing at the national level isn’t too daunting: he was part of the men’s quad scull team at last year’s event in Poland.
“I think I’m more excited this time around because last year went well and I know what to expect,” he said.
Thomas, who rows at the UQ Boat Club and is completing a carpentry apprenticeship, has also represented Australia, last year competing in the coxed four boat.
“We won silver last year, so we’re going for the gold this time,” he said.
Jake, a 17-year-old UQ Bachelor of Town Planning student, is a men’s eight coxswain with the National Talent Identification Development program.
He will compete in a three-day Winter Series Regatta in May at Lake Karapiro in New Zealand, which will also host the 2010 World Rowing Championships in November.
Run by the Australian Institute of Sport, the program helps young athletes make the transition from secondary-school competition to elite level.
“We’ve got a very talented squad and Australia is a strong rowing nation, so I have faith we’ll do very well,” Jake said.
His goal is to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but said “a lot of hard work and dedication” would be needed before reaching that point.
All three boys began rowing in high school – Cameron rowed at Gregory Terrace, Thomas at Nudgee and Jake at Brisbane State High School.
The boys agreed that being prepared was the key to balancing their sporting commitments with academic and work obligations.
“I work hard to get ahead in my assignments because I know there are times when I’m going to be on tour and have to take time off,” Jake said.
Thomas said his boss was supportive of his rowing ambitions, while Cameron said the University was flexible when competition and assessment clashed.
Jake will fly to Canberra on Thursday, May 13, for a training camp, ahead of the New Zealand tour, which starts on May 18.
Thomas and Cameron have several week-long training camps in Canberra before competing in the Czech Republic in August.
Media: Penny Robinson at UQ Communications (07 3365 9723, penny.robinson@uq.edu.au)
