The bar was set high last year with the club winning three medals. This year many of the athletes are competing in a higher age group or advanced grade, so they will have to work even harder to claim a medal.
Head coach John Darbyshire believes the results will reflect the dedication and level of training each rower has put in.
Lydia Todd and Cameron Boal have intensified their own fitness training and are looking strong for their C-grade single scull events.
Todd will team with Emily Waller in the D-grade double — they will need to finish first in their heat to qualify for a spot in the final with a massive 22 entries.
After winning a silver medal last year with teammate Jack Puise in the under-17 double, James Eldred will give it his best in the same event, this time with Hamish Kerr.
They have been getting stronger each time they row and quicker at the 2000 m course.
The duo will team with Boal and Nick Waller in the quad coxed by James Darbyshire.
Competition will be tough in the C-grade event, Shepparton will need to improve its time after disappointing finishes at recent regattas.
Young rower Emily Belcher is hoping for smooth water to race her single scull after the choppy windy conditions she faced the last time she competed at Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree.
James Darbyshire will challenge the D-grade single with record entries from across the state.
With only a few months of learning the sculling technique, St Anne’s College student Samuel O’Hara will tackle the under 15 single.
O’Hara had a great first race at the Nagambie Regatta and has the potential to excel at the sport with his strong commitment to training and positive attitude.
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