MICK DE GIORGIO

ACGS Rowing Boatman 22 years

When a student joins up to rowing, they enter an unknown sport and new challenges.

When inside they discover fun, discipline, comradeship like no other team sport.

For the Boatman, waking up presents you with something new every day, which makes my role different, exciting, challenging and being flexible.

My journey has seen the construction of a new boathouse and taken me to a lot of rowing camps/regattas (rain, hail, or shine) where you get to experience a lot of different personalities and stories from the boys, as well as broken oars, bows, rigger, fins etc, while the boys develop their rowing skills, strive for success and mature from young boys to mature young men. Overall I have a lot of great memories and highlights, as well as meeting hard working coaches, support groups and parents who support and make Churchie rowing a great environment to be a part of.

Boatmen are passionate, skilled, caring, patient quick-thinkers who are the heart and soul of all rowing sheds. When all too often we as parents, staff, Rowing Support Group and rowers demand the immediate attention of our Boatmen selfishly seeking answers to our ‘urgent’ needs, I for one have enjoyed listening to these Boatmen speak about their roles. Their love of rowing is clear, but clearer still is their love of rowers, and the ability to support them throughout their school rowing careers. So to all in the rowing community, I encourage you to take a moment to recognise and thank your school’s Boatman for the work they do for our sons.

Jo White from BSHS sums it up perfectly with this:

‘Thank you to all of you who keep rowers on the river safe and competitive.’