Kirrie woman prospers in world of rowing

Boston: Kirrie woman prospers in world of rowing as she heads to US to compete for top title

A Kirriemuir woman is making a splash in the world of rowing.

Robyn Hart-Winks, a former Highland dancing world champion, this month won her GB senior selection trial in Boston, Lincolnshire, and this weekend competes at the World Indoor Championships in Boston, USA.

“I’ve been dancing since I was five but when I started university it was difficult for me to travel home for dance classes each week,” said the 22-year-old, who is studying an MA in Linguistics and English at Edinburgh University.

“I knew that rowing was as port you can start from scratch at a late age so as soon as I came to Edinburgh I decided to give rowing a try.”

She quickly found her years of strict dance training had given her the perfect physical and mental foundations to transfer to the notorious rowing regime.

And she soon prospered. In the 2014 British Championships, she won gold for the university in the under -23 lightweight double, retaining the title in 2015.

She also won gold for Scotland in the lightweight single at the 2015 Home International Regatta.

But winning this month’s selection trials in the lightweight single class marked a new high.

“That was the third and the last winter assessment for the GB senior team, and based on my results I’ m hoping to gain an invite to the Olympic Trials in March and the final trials in April,” said Robyn, admitting it is probably too soon in her career for her to compete in this year’s games.

“Last year I did well in the first trial and dropped off by this stage so to win last weekend’s trial shows I’m progressing.

“I’m going to go as far as I can and I am aiming for this year’s Senior Worlds.”

Straight after winning last November’ s Scottish Indoor title and based on the time she set, Robyn was invited by event sponsor Concept2 to compete at the Worlds Indoor Championships.

“I’ve never been to an indoor event of this size before so it’ s another level up and an amazing opportunity,” she said.

“It’ s along way to travel f or a2k race on an ergometer but it’s the most excited I have ever been.

“I’m hoping to at least get my PB. I’ve looked at past results and I’ m hoping that would be good enough to put me in top three.”

Fast becoming the UK’s go-to rowing university, with a second place in the 2015 BUCS Championships, Edinburgh was last summer recognised as Scotland’s first GB High Performance Programme.

“The university training programme is amazing and over the last few years the the standard of rowing here has got so much better,” explained Robyn.

“When I started it was run by volunteers and there wasn’t any funding in the club.

“But now there is more investment, we have professional coaches and it’s been amazing to see how the club has grown.

Robyn is one of 148 students supported by Winning Students, Scotland’ s national sports scholarships programme for student athletes.

Through the programme she receives funding support and the academic flexibility required to perform at the highest level in sport and studies.

Picture: Rob EytonJones. Robyn Hart-Winks has swapped dancing shoes for oars as she heads off to compete at the World Indoor Championships in Boston this weekend.