Get an American Scholarship!
Many female rowers from Porirua have gone on to receive rowing scholarships from American Universities. It is a lot more difficult for males because American Universities invest into male Basketball and American Football. To help provide equity, female Rowing is one of the sports that was chosen to receive investment. If someone wants to put in the effort, the Porirua Rowing Club have the know-how to develop your rowing so you can apply for a scholarship.
Polly Wenlock’s Journey Porirua Rowing Club 2018 – 2021 (written by Polly Sep 2022)
My rowing journey (so far)
After having seen and been enticed by Porirua’s Learn to Row program, I joined rowing on a whim with a couple of schoolmates in 2018.
Primarily I was incentivised by the prospect of a fun activity in an area of sport I’d never experienced before. While I started small with one practice a week in learn to row, my friends and I quickly contracted the rowing bug and begged our coaches for more training, and more opportunities to go out on the water in various boats. Following a wildly fun novice season as a part of Kapiti College, I graduated and decided I wanted to pursue an American scholarship opportunity.
I moved to the Wairau rowing club for the next season where I earned my scholarship. Then back to Porirua after COVID prevented me from traveling to the states for my University where I competed the single. In my last NZ season, under the tutelage of Tim Parker, I earned a spot on the NZ U21 sculling squad. This was a great season mostly because I really enjoyed being able to row in a variety of places and with a real mix of people.
Now I am halfway through my college experience, entering my junior year of university, and loving life in sunny Los Angeles!
What rowing here and everywhere I’ve had the opportunity to experience has given me is the ability to meet a wide variety of awesome, motivated, and friendly people I’ll be glad to call friends for life. From Porirua to LA, the rowing community has had my back entirely.
