Rowing is now underway at the Paris Olympics, and tonight, Australians will be featured in four events. Torquay Surf Life Saving Club members and locals have previously represented Australia in rowing events.
Richard (Dick) Garrard Jnr rated his 17 straight wins from 1977 at the Anglesea Regatta as a rowing highlight in his 20-plus years as a competitor nationally and internationally. In 1964 Dick competed in the Men’s Coxless Four two seat at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, where they were eliminated in the repechage. He coached the USA Women’s Coxless Pair to silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the USA Men’s Scull at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Pamela Westendorf won twenty-three Australian national championships and represented Australia at five World Championships, winning a silver medal in 1990. Pamela competed in finals at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games in a Coxed Four (3 seat). She now lives in Bellbrae and runs Bowside Cafe on the Great Ocean Road, named after the side of the boat she spent her career rowing in.
James Galloway OAM first represented the ACT in hockey and tennis before embarking on rowing in 1976. He had a long career as a sweep oarsman, culminating in representing Australia in the Coxed Eights event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where they finished fifth.
During the 1990s Australian rower Matthew McArdle placed thirteenth in the men’s coxless pair event at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.
Sonia Heath (nee Mills) succeeded in both sculls and sweep-oared boat classes, representing Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she partnered with Catriona Sems to the eighth position overall.
James Marburg won a silver medal in the coxless four at Beijing in 2008, returning to the Olympic competition in the London 2012 Games, teaming up with Brodie Buckland in the men’s pair.