Rowers prepare for worlds
Five Peterborough rowers are setting out on the adventure of a lifetime in what might be the first of many foreign excursions.
The Peterborough Rowing Club’s women’s quad of Nancy Fischer, Krista Saunders, Bev Quirt and Morgan Wehtje, along with Morgan’s husband Walter Wehtje, are heading to the World Masters Games in Torino, Italy from Aug. 7 to 10.
It is the first time any of the five, who have a wide range of experience, have ever rowed outside North America. The group, ranging in age from 47 to 60, will be joined by Walter’s brother Erik, who lives in Sweden, to compete in a series of women’s and mixed quads and men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.
Morgan Wehtje and Quirt were university rowers, Wehtje in her native United States and Quirt at Trent, before taking nearly 30 years off from the sport. Wehtje came to Trent to finish a doctorate in environmental studies and rediscovered rowing. Fischer and Saunders started a decade ago in the PRC’s Learn to Row program. Walter took the sport up last year.
Fischer says they first talked about travelling abroad after competing at the 2010 World Masters Rowing Championships in St. Catharines.
“We began to get the bug there,” Fischer said. “There were 3,000 rowers there from all over the world. We had a fantastic time.”
With the world championships in Italy this year it sounded like a “dream destination,” said Fischer, until they discovered it was in September when some of them were unavailable.
Then they found out about the World Masters Games, coincidentally also in Italy, where rowing is one of many events in the Olympic-style multisport gathering.
“It's exciting because it’s a multisport event and there are opening and closing ceremonies which will involve more than just the rowers,” said Fischer. “I'm really looking forward to the closing ceremonies.”
“We constantly pit ourselves against the same crews over and over,” Wehtje said. “This is a chance to see how we compare to the world.”
“It's going to be really exciting to be at the starting line,” Fischer said, “knowing the boat beside us is from Russia and on the other side is from Italy; experiencing all the different languages and then rowing hard in a beautiful setting.”
“It’s one thing to be a tourist and see the sights,” Quirt said.
“It’s another thing to get in their water and row and experience their canal system and lakes and row where the Olympics have rowed before. It’s another way to find out about the culture of the place you are visiting. That’s what excites me. That and being on the water and the rush you get when the boat is going so fast.”
The group has rented a bed and breakfast on a wine estate near the rowing venue 35 kilometres north of Torino.
There is an element of the unknown as they have rented boats in Italy rather than trying to ship their own.
“We'll get there and find out if they work,” Wehtje said.
The group has had success winning at the Henley Regatta and finishing second in one of their races in an eight at the 2010 worlds, so they’re not just going overseas for the experience.
“We're not going over there just to paddle,” said Saunders, with a laugh. “We want to bring back the bling.”
“We want some hardware,” Wehtje said. “That’s why we compete.”
This might just be the start of their adventures.
“Krista has already pointed out,” Fischer said, “that the next games are in New Zealand in four years.”
“I’ve also been pointing out the rowing worlds are in Australia next year,” Saunders said. “If we can do it again at some place we want to go, we’ll do it.”
For Walter Wehtje, 51, this will be his first opportunity to row competitively with his more experienced brother, who is 54 and rowed in high school.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I can’t think of too many opportunities to go out with my brother at this age and compete with people in a sport that is a lot of fun. I really wouldn’t be doing it if I hadn’t married Morgan.
“This is really going to be fun. You compete in your own age group so you’ll meet people from all over the world who are doing the same thing. I’m going to absorb as much of that week as I can and have fun and also try to win,” he said, with a laugh.