BEN TOOMEY

Terrace Rowing Boatman 10 years ended tenure in 2022

I am this year a 10yr veteran of the boatshed (my other home) and would be lost without it and the ability to share my knowledge of the sport, life and my trade skills background with the young men who breeze through here year after year.

The best description I can offer you currently is that the Boatman in a lot of ways is the lynch pin in the rowing program. As far as my role is concerned, I am responsible for everything from food orders, shed and boat maintenance, towing, hunting down lost property and missing assignments, bus monitoring, fending off emotional parents and coaching staff and occasionally changing the mower blades for the grounds staff.

My most recent moment that springs to mind is an interaction with one of our First VIII rowers and an email he sent me: Thanks so much for being the only coach I feel comfortable talking to, for helping me up at Rocky (helping me calm down) and for fixing our boats when we bugger something up. Thanks for everything.

He is a tough competitor and has a hard time settling before a race but with a few words from the Boatman he was able to achieve a 3rd place at the States regatta.

Rowers who are interested can learn so much from our boatmen and women about equipment (anyone else acutely aware of the relevant Galvanic series for metal corrosion from their time rigging and derigging boats at school regattas?). Having someone in the shed with the answers - actually experienced with materials and tools, and all other manner of operations including tinny maintenance, fuel supply, cleaning chemicals, is another way that our boatmen and women add value.’