Size no barrier for powerful young rower

MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail

ALL POWER: Robyn Munro proved her strength by recording the grils' fastest 2km ergometer test on the second day of national trials.

Size has not been a barrier for Nelson's Robyn Munro following her selection this week in the New Zealand girls' eight to compete in the world junior rowing championships in France.

At 1.77m and about 68kg, Munro will be one of the smallest crew members heading to Brive in August in her first national selection.

The 17-year-old Nelson College for Girls rower has been selected in the two-seat after her impressive efforts at the recent trials at Lake Karapiro.

Despite her diminutive stature, Munro proved her stamina and strength by recording the girls' fastest 2km ergometer test on the second day of the trials. Her 7min 6s test was two seconds faster than any other female rower and a clear pointer to her eventual selection.

"I knew that I'd get around that time but I thought maybe there'd be one or two girls better," she said.

"It's all about power-to-weight ratio and for my weight, I'm quite strong. But I'm one of the smallest in my crew everyone's really tall."

Although experienced as a sweep-oar rower, her success at the recent Maadi Cup secondary schools championships came as a sculler when she joined her NCG team-mates, Jaclyn Fenwick, Nat Stuart, Holly Fry and coxswain Juliet Whitaker to record a course record 7min 9.22s in winning the girls' coxed quad sculls title. She was also part of the NCG eight that finished fifth in the under-18 girls' Jubilee Cup final.

This was just her first season of sculling, so she was more than comfortable with her selection in the eight.

"I was so happy about being in the eight because at the start of the week I was sculling and halfway through seat racing one day they pulled me out of the quad and put me into the eight.

"The eight went a lot better and I was pretty happy with it. I kind of realised then that I probably preferred to sweep."

The trials were demanding, the eight managing a series of 1000m time trials with coaches and rowers positive about their times of 3min 15sec to 3min 17sec.

"Being on the water, it was tough, but we've trained for it, so we've got the fitness ... and I was mentally prepared for it.

"It was kind of hard going up there and not knowing anyone because I was the only one from Nelson, but I made friends quite easily and we got along well."

Munro praised the contribution of her coach, Wanganui-based Ian Weenink, who helped to reinforce her positive mindset throughout the season.

"My coach, the whole season, has drilled it into my head that I should be up there and that I deserve it and that I'm one of the top girls and things like that.

"Because of him, I think I've believed in myself quite a lot because he was really positive the whole time and really supported me a lot. It was good to have him behind me and he did help."

Munro shifts to Lake Karapiro on May 16. She live and train there until the team leaves for three pre-worlds regattas in Belgium on July 26. The junior world championships are from August 5-9.

- © Fairfax NZ News