Only a handful of rowers get the opportunity to compete in the annual North Island versus South Island Junior Regatta.
That’s why it was a significant milestone for Hauraki Plains College students Paige Tevita-Williams and Blake Leach, who found out they were selected for the 2025 New Zealand Rowing U18 North Island Team.
The young athletes competed as part of the North Island team at Lake Karāpiro on April 18 to 19.
Their team was made up of five boys and five girls in scullying, and nine boys and nine girls in sweeping, they said.
Sixteen year old Paige told The Profile she was relieved when her name was read out.
It was amazing to be chosen after two days of “hard trials”, she said.
While 15-year-old Blake said “my heart dropped” because he didn’t expect to get through.
“[I] was absolutely stoked and gave my coach a hug.”
Even though the South Island team won the overall points and took home the cup, the two Hauraki rowers gave it their best shot.
Blake competed and placed second in the boys under 18s cox quad sculls for his first race, fourth in the single sculls, but swept up first place in the second cox squad scull with a time of six minutes thirty point nine seconds, he said.
While Paige competed and placed second in the under 18s cox quad sculls for her first race, second in the double sculls and second her second race for the cox quad sculls.
But for both rowers, the biggest challenge was in the last 500 metres of the quad races, they said.
“Seat racing was hard with your hands bleeding and rowing with people you haven’t rowed with”, they said.
It was clear the promising rowers were dedicated to their sport.
Blake and Paige trained for two and a half hours from 5.45am from Monday to Friday, and from 3.20pm in the afternoons on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, plus a big row to Pipiroa on Saturdays which is around 20 km, they said.
One thing was certain, the rowing sensations had bright aspirations for their futures.
Blake said his goal was to win the U17s single boat, which meant he would need to get into an A final and achieve gold.
While Paige’s goal was to go to the Olympics and represent the fern in 2028, she said.
For other students who wanted to get into rowing, Blake and Paige said “give it a go”.
“It’s not easy but when you get the hang of it, it’s really fun,” they said. “You meet heaps of cool people and make lifelong friendships. [It’s a] Great way to get fit and grow your confidence,” they said.
“[The] rowing shed is our second home, [we’re] lucky to have the river so close.”
