Local rowing star, Paige Barr

DAMIEN DONOHUE: It’s great to catch up with local rowing star, Paige Barr, who is currently working hard at the National Training Centre (NTC) in Penrith, focused on gaining a place in the Australian rowing team for the Paris Olympics later in the year.

Pagie Barr: Thanks for having me.

DD: Tell me about growing up in East Gippsland.

PB: I grew up in Lakes Entrance, we moved to Bairnsdale at the end of year 11 at school to be closer to everything.

DD: What school did you attend?

PB: Gippsland Grammar School.

DD: Were you involved in any other sports as a youngster prior to rowing?

PB: I played tennis and netball, but I gave them up to focus on rowing.

DD: When did you start rowing?

PB: Halfway through year nine at school, 2016, I became a big fan straight away.

DD: What sort of boats did you row in back then?

PB: At school we were a sculling school, which is with two oars, which is different to what I do now, which is called sweeping with one oar. So I learnt at school mainly in a quad, with some double and single skull opportunities.

DD: Did you have any successes in school rowing?

PB: Limited, it’s tough being a regional school competing against the elite Melbourne schools which have huge programs and big numbers. We did place second at the Head of Schoolgirls Regatta in the division two quad, which was a huge effort at the time. I remember going to the Junior Girls State Championships at Barwon and winning the division two single scull, but there were some tough days competing against the big schools.

DD: So when did you start getting into the pathways programs?

PB: It wasn’t until I moved to Melbourne for university.

DD: Where do you row in Melbourne?

PB: Mercantile. There’s two main clubs – Melbourne University and Mercantile.

DD: What course are you completing?

PB: I’m studying exercise sports science at Deakin University in Burwood.

DD: What will you be once you have finished your degree?

PB: I’m not really sure yet, the course I’m doing is like a glorified personal trainer degree. So from that you gain the knowledge which could see you go in the physio or chiropractor direction, or head down a sports science path.

DD: Where did you base yourself when you were in Melbourne?

PB: Out at Burwood and commute into the city for daily training sessions.

DD: How many sessions were you doing each day?

PB: Usually row around 18 kilometres in the morning, followed by a gym session and an afternoon cardio workout. Certainly not as intense as the current regiment but we were younger as well.

DD: You made the Victorian team when you moved to Melbourne?

PB: The first year down I made the Victorian youth eight, but unfortunately COVID struck and there were no national championships. The next year I rowed for Victoria at the National Championships in Tasmania. I trialed for the Australian team and got selected in the under 23 coaxed four, even though I was under 21 as my rowing partner was older. But because of COVID travel bans, we never got to compete internationally that year.

DD: The next season?

PB: I was a bottom age under 23, made the senior Victorian eight for the Queens Cup Regatta which we won at Nagambie. I trained for the pairs for the National Championships, but my training partner pulled out injured the week prior. So I raced in the single sculls, which I had done no training in and came second, which was a huge result for me.

DD: Did you make the Australian trials?

PB: I was invited to the senior Australian trials, which was really unexpected and random at the time as I hadn’t really had an outstanding season. I couldn’t believe it when I made the team for the Australian eight, so I moved up to Penrith for a few months to train with the national team.

DD: So you travelled overseas with the Australian team in 2022?

PB: Yes, we trained and raced overseas, came second at the World Cup meet in Poland and won the event in Switzerland.

DD: Was it a career highlight at the time?

PB: I’d say so, we then came home for a while and regrouped before heading back overseas for a camp in Italy and the world championships in the Czech Republic.

DD: Did you make the Australian team in 2023?

PB: Yes, in the eight again, we won the World Cup event in Varese, before placing third in Switzerland. We then raced the world championships and came third.

DD: That’s huge, rated third best boat in the world.

PB: Amazing, that effort qualified the boat for the Olympics, and as we medaled at the world championships we all automatically get a scholarship to the NTC. So I’ve been based in Penrith ever since.

DD: How does training at Penrith differ from Melbourne?

PB: It’s so much more intense, so much more volume. When you’re on the water, it’s a lot more focused, like you’re expected to be on, gold medal speed, in the right heart rate zones, with the coach there watching you 24/7, giving you feedback. We do 22 kilometres in the morning, followed by a gym session and 14 kilometres in the afternoon.

DD: How long does it take to do 22 kilometres?

PB: Around two hours.

DD: Is there plenty of space at Penrith?

PB: It’s good here, you can row for 11 kilometres in a straight line, turn around and row back. Plenty of space, Melbourne is very congested with plenty of turns and obstacles, schools training and limited distance capacity. It’s hectic.

DD: Do you row in an eight at Penrith all the time?

PB: No, it’s all two and four seat boats, until the pick the final team.

DD: Is the NTC at Penrith a live in facility?

PB: No, everyone lives close, so you can duck home between sessions.

DD: It’s a full time training program?

PB: Certainly, focus is on sessions, and recovery between sessions to get the best out of every training effort. We are given money to live off so we don’t have to work and focus is just training.

DD: How many days a week?

PB: Six, with Sunday as a recovery.

DD: When is the rowing season?

PB: Domestically it’s October to March, which culminates in the Nationals. Then the overseas season kicks off with three World Cup races and the World Championships each year.

DD: So where is Olympic selection currently at?

PB: So we have trials in three weeks, and from that, they select the team for the World Cups. After the World Champs the coaches will basically select the eight, four, two and two reserves for the Olympics.

DD: How is the confidence level?

PB: I’m confident. I’ve worked hard, but anything can happen, it just depends how race and test.

DD: In the eight, what seat do you usually occupy?

PB: Three seat, two seat or bow.

DD: Preference?

PB: Not really, they’re all pretty similar.

DD: So you’re working hard on the water at present, what other training are you doing?

PB: Three sessions of weights a week, two of core work, some cycling, swimming and running, combined with plenty of intense physio.

DD: So you have access to all the extra services that athletes use these days?

PB: Yes, we have a dietitian, sports physiologist, and a separate gym coach.

DD: What injuries do rowers usually suffer?

PB: Lower back and rib fractures are common.

DD: Nasty. Role models?

PB: I would say Lucy Stephan and Katrina Werry. Both Victorians and highly successful at international level. It’s amazing I now get to train with them every day. They are both similar height and build to me, which is considered short for rowing. Lucy has an Olympic gold medal, proving you don’t have to be six foot.

DD: How tall are you?

PB: Five foot nine, but it’s a tall person sport, most of the girls at the NTC are six foot or over.

DD: Why is that, is it a reach thing?

PB: Yes, the more distance you can cover, the longer your stroke is, the more time you have to build power and move the boat. The longer that you can roll, the faster the boat will move.

DD: Are there girls on the team from other elite sporting backgrounds?

PB: There are a couple of swimmers, but most of the girls began rowing at school.

DD: You spoke of dieticians, what advice do you get from them?

PB: Because of the huge workload, we are instructed to eat lots of carbs and protein, and plenty of food generally throughout the day to continually refuel energy level. If we have a big training block, they suggest we eat more than we think we need.

DD: Whats the go-to carb?

PB: Peanut butter and honey on toast.

DD: Do you ever get drug tested?

PB: Have been tested once, a few months ago.

DD: Is that scary?

PB: It’s not scary, the fact that I know that we haven’t consumed anything that is going to come up positive, so it’s not like I really need to be too worried.

DD: What do you know about the Paris course?

PB: It’s a long way from Paris, they had the junior worlds there last year, can get very windy and choppy.

DD: Easy question, goal for the year?

PB: I would prefer to come away with Olympic gold medal.

DD: Who are the teams to beat at the Olympics?

PB: In the eight, it would be Romania and America, who beat us at the world championships.

DD: Long-term goal?

PB: Certainly the Los Angeles Olympics and possibly Brisbane.

DD: Any aspirations to get in a smaller boat?

PB: Happy and focused in the eight at present, I feel like we’ve really built something special.

DD: Let’s conclude with some quick questions. AFL team?

PB: Richmond, go the Tigers.