GIPPSLAND Grammar student Jessica Thompson will represent Australia at the junior world rowing championships.
The Grammar senior rowing captain will be part of the women’s eight crew competing at the championships in Lithuania in August.
Jessica was selected to take part in Rowing Australia’s pathway program after top performances competing for her school in single scull events at state trials and at the national titles earlier this year.
Gippsland Grammar rowing director Peter Campbell said Jessica showed dedication and determination to adapt her rowing to fit the Pathway 8 Program.
“Jess has always trained and rowed as a single scull, that’s with two oars, but selection into the eights meant she had to learn to row with one oar in a crew of seven others and a coxswain,” he said.
“Not only did she master the technique in just three weeks, she helped her Victorian crew win its heat as well as the final against all of the other state pathways teams at the trials held in Penrith, Sydney, last week.
“The crew’s time was fast enough to receive an invitation to the world-class event.”
Jessica, who took up rowing in year seven, described this experience in her final year at Gippsland Grammar as a great learning experience.
“This year my goal was to compete at nationals in Sydney in the single scull,” she said.
“It was a tough journey getting there, knowing I had to knock almost two minutes off my best time, but after bronze at states and silver at Head of School Girls, I was ready. I placed fifth.”
Jessica was highest performing Victorian at the nationals and hence invited to trial as part of the Pathway 8 Program.
“Rowing is not an easy sport. It challenges you both physically and mentally,” she said.
“This is one of my favourite things about this sport. In the process of becoming the best you can be, you learn so much about yourself as an athlete and as a person and what you are capable of achieving.”
