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Beach Sprint squad brings besties back together
It's turned into quite a re-union for two rowing mates with a lot in common.
Their names were read out in succession more than 20 years ago to race in the New Zealand U19 Eight to go to the World Championships in Greece.
"Erin Tolhurst"
"Emma Twigg"
From that moment on, the two ETs have been crewmates, flatmates and best mates.
The Junior eight in 2003 and 2004, the Elite eight at the World Champs in 2006, Red Coats in the eight, four and quad for the Auckland RPC.
Erin goes by her married name (Erin James) these days, but on Sunday the original ETs were back on a team list together to compete at the World Beach Sprint Finals in Turkiye in November after trials at Orewa Beach in Auckland.
"I actually didn't know I'd been selected, but I'd known how the results went," says Erin. "I was like, 'I think it's looking pretty good'. And then I got all these messages saying:
20 years on!!!
We're in the team!!
Can't believe it!
Amazing!
They were all from Emma!"
Erin never really finished with international competition after the Women's Eight didn't go to Beijing in 2008.
She's been competing in surf boats since before having her three kids, Georgia (7), Will (6) and Charlie (4) with husband Ritchie.
So when she heard about Coastal being included in the Olympics, it didn't seem an impossible stretch at all.
"It was always sort of in the back of my mind and then when Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis managed that incredible performance and won the gold in Paris, I thought, 'Maybe I've got something else in me. I just didn't quite feel finished.'"
With Emma's encouragement, Erin got on a serious programme and went to work.
"I've been training pretty hard since April," says Erin. "My numbers started getting better and better to the point where they were as good as when I was on the Elite team last."
EJ will row the Mixed Double with Matt Dunham.
ET's locked down the Women's Solo spot.
The initials are different 22 years on, they're in different boats, but the friendship is just as strong.
"It's so cool that I got to be at the start of her career and this end," says Erin. "Although who knows if this is the end or still the middle for Emma! But it's nice to rejoin her."
"Here's Erin after 20 years coming back to the sport, age 39," says Emma. "And me having been in the sport for 20 years, age 38, going, 'What the hell am I doing?"
Cox - Candice Bardsley, Erin Tolhurst, Clementine Marshall, Paula Twining, Emma Twigg, Rebecca Scown, Nicky-Lee Crawford, Bess Halley, Darnelle Timbs (NZL) - 2006 Women's Eight at the World Rowing Championships Dorney Lake, Eton, Great Britain.
Erin James competing at Rowing NZ Beach Sprint Championships for West End.
The Beach Sprints team also marks a remarkable return to wearing the Silver Fern for Gary Reid, who's been named as coach.
He was New Zealand's Single Sculler at the LA Olympics in 1984 and was in the Men's Quad for the World Championships at Hazewinkel in 1985. 40 years on, he's back.
Not that he ever really left.
As the licensee of Concept2 in New Zealand, he sort of has a stake in everyone's rowing story.
He's been running informal camps at his home beside the Wairoa River in Tauranga for years now, where Coastal and flat-water athletes like Matt Dunham, Finn Hamill, Jackie Kiddle, Joe Sullivan and Michael Brake have trained out of.
"It feels pretty good," says Gary of his call-up. "It feels great because we're involved with such a good bunch of people in a sport that we love."
On top of the Tauranga get-togethers have been once-a-month weekends since January at Ohope, with Gary inviting groups to train from out of a building he owns in town that has a fully equipped gym, accommodation and kitchen.
"It's quite a cool little community that we've created with a lot of the juniors as well," says Gary.
Among them have been Holly Chaafe and Seb Fulton, who will be travelling reserves for the Beach Sprint team.
This weekend, Gary's hosting the squad (barring Matt and Finn who are tied up with their World Championship flat water crews for Shanghai) and the Australian Beach Sprint team as well.
They'll do some training together and hopefully get some racing in too.
Gary can't wait. Neither can Erin James.
GARY REid is amped to be the coach of the NZ Team team bound for the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals which are being held from 6-9 November in Antalya, Turkiye.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
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- Home
- /
- International Regattas
- /
- Beach Sprint squad...
Beach Sprint squad brings besties back together
It's turned into quite a re-union for two rowing mates with a lot in common.
Their names were read out in succession more than 20 years ago to race in the New Zealand U19 Eight to go to the World Championships in Greece.
"Erin Tolhurst"
"Emma Twigg"
From that moment on, the two ETs have been crewmates, flatmates and best mates.
The Junior eight in 2003 and 2004, the Elite eight at the World Champs in 2006, Red Coats in the eight, four and quad for the Auckland RPC.
Erin goes by her married name (Erin James) these days, but on Sunday the original ETs were back on a team list together to compete at the World Beach Sprint Finals in Turkiye in November after trials at Orewa Beach in Auckland.
"I actually didn't know I'd been selected, but I'd known how the results went," says Erin. "I was like, 'I think it's looking pretty good'. And then I got all these messages saying:
20 years on!!!
We're in the team!!
Can't believe it!
Amazing!
They were all from Emma!"
Erin never really finished with international competition after the Women's Eight didn't go to Beijing in 2008.
She's been competing in surf boats since before having her three kids, Georgia (7), Will (6) and Charlie (4) with husband Ritchie.
So when she heard about Coastal being included in the Olympics, it didn't seem an impossible stretch at all.
"It was always sort of in the back of my mind and then when Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis managed that incredible performance and won the gold in Paris, I thought, 'Maybe I've got something else in me. I just didn't quite feel finished.'"
With Emma's encouragement, Erin got on a serious programme and went to work.
"I've been training pretty hard since April," says Erin. "My numbers started getting better and better to the point where they were as good as when I was on the Elite team last."
EJ will row the Mixed Double with Matt Dunham.
ET's locked down the Women's Solo spot.
The initials are different 22 years on, they're in different boats, but the friendship is just as strong.
"It's so cool that I got to be at the start of her career and this end," says Erin. "Although who knows if this is the end or still the middle for Emma! But it's nice to rejoin her."
"Here's Erin after 20 years coming back to the sport, age 39," says Emma. "And me having been in the sport for 20 years, age 38, going, 'What the hell am I doing?"
Cox - Candice Bardsley, Erin Tolhurst, Clementine Marshall, Paula Twining, Emma Twigg, Rebecca Scown, Nicky-Lee Crawford, Bess Halley, Darnelle Timbs (NZL) - 2006 Women's Eight at the World Rowing Championships Dorney Lake, Eton, Great Britain.
Erin James competing at Rowing NZ Beach Sprint Championships for West End.
The Beach Sprints team also marks a remarkable return to wearing the Silver Fern for Gary Reid, who's been named as coach.
He was New Zealand's Single Sculler at the LA Olympics in 1984 and was in the Men's Quad for the World Championships at Hazewinkel in 1985. 40 years on, he's back.
Not that he ever really left.
As the licensee of Concept2 in New Zealand, he sort of has a stake in everyone's rowing story.
He's been running informal camps at his home beside the Wairoa River in Tauranga for years now, where Coastal and flat-water athletes like Matt Dunham, Finn Hamill, Jackie Kiddle, Joe Sullivan and Michael Brake have trained out of.
"It feels pretty good," says Gary of his call-up. "It feels great because we're involved with such a good bunch of people in a sport that we love."
On top of the Tauranga get-togethers have been once-a-month weekends since January at Ohope, with Gary inviting groups to train from out of a building he owns in town that has a fully equipped gym, accommodation and kitchen.
"It's quite a cool little community that we've created with a lot of the juniors as well," says Gary.
Among them have been Holly Chaafe and Seb Fulton, who will be travelling reserves for the Beach Sprint team.
This weekend, Gary's hosting the squad (barring Matt and Finn who are tied up with their World Championship flat water crews for Shanghai) and the Australian Beach Sprint team as well.
They'll do some training together and hopefully get some racing in too.
Gary can't wait. Neither can Erin James.
GARY REid is amped to be the coach of the NZ Team team bound for the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals which are being held from 6-9 November in Antalya, Turkiye.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
