I was never a naturally talented rower, but I still managed to win Olympic gold.
I rowed in New Zealand's men's eight from 2013 to 2021. We won back-to-back under-23 world titles in the eight in 2013 and 2014, then finished sixth at Rio and sixth again in 2017, and 2018 was worse. In 2019 Hamish Bond and Mahé Drysdale joined the crew. We thought that would fix everything, and we failed to qualify for Tokyo.
It was the boat I loved, so I stayed. Then came COVID, lockdown, and training in a garage for an event we didn't know would happen. We qualified, and then we won the final in Tokyo. I sat in seven seat.
Why Meataxe exists
A Meataxe is a certain type of rower: someone who gives it everything, is fully committed, loves the sport, and has a good portion of meatiness to them. They just don't have that natural boat-moving skill. That was me for most of my career.
I want to simplify the sport because I know that a younger version of myself would have really benefited from this advice.
So that's what this site is. The lessons from 15 years of rowing, explained in a way you can actually understand, so you don't have to spend a decade figuring it out the hard way. No "feel the boat". Simple cues, real sessions and the stuff that actually made our eight faster.
The numbers behind it
- About 200km of rowing a week, about 40 weeks a year, for 10 years, to win a 2,000m race.
- My 2k erg went from 7:04 at 14 to 5:45 at 24. After that it was a grind for seconds, sitting between 5:45 and 5:51 for the best part of seven years.
- Two under-23 world titles in the eight, two sixth places, one missed Olympic qualification, and one Olympic gold.
Who it's for
The rower who's strong but slow, the coach trying to get the best out of them, and the crew they sit in. If you're the one being told you make the boat feel heavy, start with what a Meataxe rower is, then what actually makes the boat fast.
You'll find me on Instagram at @meataxe_rowing. My official profile is on the New Zealand Olympic Team site, and there's more on Wikipedia.