Avon Girls Dance Their Way to the Final

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Sarah Smallman (left) and Sarah Woolley rowed a great race to make the final of the Elite Women’s Coxless Pairs

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Former Olympian Rob Hellstrom (right) and Warwick Wright, qualified for the semi finals of the Elite Men’s Coxless Pairs event

AVON GIRLS DANCE THEIR WAY TO THE FINAL

Avon girls Sarah Smallman and Sarah Woolley’s dancing skills could well have helped them make the final of the premier women’s coxless pairs rowing event at the BankLink New Zealand Championships at Twizel this week.

The pair like to mix up their training and have gone as far as wearing heart rate monitors when they are out on the town – just to make sure they are dancing at the
best heart rates for their fitness!

Smallman (27), a chemistry teacher at St Margaret’s in Christchurch and Woolley (29), a graphic design tutor from the National College first rowed together in 2002. Their partnership ended - at least initially – when Woolley went overseas and Smallman headed North to row as a lightweight and get married.

When they both found themselves back in Christchurch 18 months ago, they decided to give their pair another go. For Woolley, it was the first time in a boat in four years.

“We just enjoy rowing together and having fun,” she said. “That was what getting back together in the boat was all about. We’ve got a great coach in Paul Westbury and we’ve definitely focussed on cross training rather than constantly being in the boat. We’ve done all sorts including cycling, swimming and dancing!”

The pair will now square up to New Zealand’s finest as the only non-national squad athletes in the Elite Women’s Coxless Pairs. Lining up against the likes of 2005 world champions Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh doesn’t phase them though. “You can only do what you can do and if we come off the water having raced well and enjoyed ourselves, that’ll be good enough for us,” added Smallman. “No question though, we will definitely be giving it our very best shot.”

In the men’s event former Olympian Rob Hellstrom and young crew mate Warrick Wright found themselves in an early morning repecharge in the Men’s Premier Coxless Pairs having retired from yesterday’s heat. Former event winner Hellstrom made it to Thursday’s semi final by finishing second in the repecharge to Central RPC team mates Hamish Burson and Peter Benny by less than a second. The semi finals in this event are likely to be some of the most hotly contested in the regatta, with the majority of New Zealand’s best, including man of the moment Mahé Drysdale, taking part.

The majority of the race programme at the lake today focussed around novice and club level repecharges. Early morning fog held up racing for an hour and a half, but by mid-morning the course was clear and a light tailwind picked up to give the athletes perfect, and fast, racing conditions.

ENDS

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