It was a cold, wet and windy day on Lake Wendouree in Ballarat when I first met Ellie. She had chosen to try rowing, a sport her family had a long history with, but starting later than her peers in Year 10 meant she was already behind.
Ellie was a natural athlete. A former dancer, a keen netballer, and an active surf lifesaver, she carried a small frame but surprising strength. What really set her apart, though, was her mindset. Ellie was a competitor to her core, with that rare, gritty quality we call 'mongrel'.
Ellie picked things up quickly. Within weeks she had the basic sequence of arms-body-legs under control. But she was rough, and it showed against girls with a full year of rowing already in their hands.
That's when our school's Head Coach, a former Olympic Coach, came out in the speedboat to check out the Year 10 rowers. He watched Ellie row for all of 30 seconds before turning to me and saying:
I was floored. I'd taken the time to know Ellie. She'd barely been in a boat, yet she was already catching up fast. He didn't ask about her, didn't want her story — he dismissed her with one glance.
But I saw something different. I saw coachability. Ellie listened, she adjusted, she felt the boat. She knew when she connected well with the water, and she had the hunger to chase improvement again and again.
And it didn't take long. Her 'mongrel', paired with her growing skill, had her pushing into the top four rowers in the squad. By season's end, Ellie sat proudly in bow seat as our crew not only won Head of the Lake — Ballarat's crown jewel — but did it in record time.
The next year, Ellie moved into the Senior Squad as I stepped up to Head Coach and Girls 1st Coach. The competition was fierce: older, bigger, stronger athletes all fighting for seats. But Ellie's sharpened technique set her apart. A metronome in three seat, she was calm, racy and deadly consistent. Soon her catches were some of the sharpest I'd ever coached. Our crew stormed Head of the Lake, dominated Head of the Schoolgirls, and earned silver at Nationals.
By her final season, Ellie and her crew were untouchable. With three phenomenal team mates and a fearless cox at her side, we didn't just win — we demolished. Thirty-second margins at major regattas forced us to chase motivation elsewhere. Our answer? Bigger goals: U19 and Schoolgirl gold at Nationals, and selection for the Australian U19 team. We went three for three.
We worked like pros — every training, every race had targets and a process. Ellie was laser-focused. She knew when the boat was humming, and she always had an instinct for what was off when it wasn't.
Even I had to level up. These girls were that good. I reached out to some of Australia's greatest coaching minds — Noel Donaldson, Lyall McCarthy, Mike McKay — and came back to school training loaded with fresh ideas.
After two golds at Nationals, the crew was invited to trial for a Victorian 8+ which was going to the Australian U19 trials. On paper, Ellie's erg didn't impress. As a smaller athlete, her 2k sat around 7:30 — slow by selection standards. But anyone who'd seen her race knew better. Her rhythm was pure, her feel unmatched, and her grit untouchable. When it came time to select seats, Ellie went straight to stroke.
From there, she stroked the crew to Australian selection — and then led them to the fastest time an Aussie U19 women's eight has ever produced at the Junior World Championships in Varese.
In just three years, the girl once dismissed as “useless” fought her way into the seat every schoolgirl rower in the country dreamed of. One of rowing's most decorated coaches had written her off in a heartbeat. What he couldn't see was her spark, her fight, and the person behind the oar.
What I saw was different. I saw grit. I saw a kid who understood her body like a playbook, who loved the grind, and who refused to settle for anything less than her best. But most importantly, I saw potential — and I made it my mission to help her unlock it. Through countless sessions on and off the water, we honed her technique, sharpened her rhythm, and built her confidence. I pushed her, guided her, and challenged her to trust herself and the process.
That guidance, combined with Ellie's determination and raw talent, transformed her from a raw beginner into a powerhouse athlete — a stroke seat leader, a record-breaker, and an Australian Under 19 representative. Watching her grow and succeed was the ultimate reminder of why coaching matters: sometimes all an athlete needs is someone who believes in them, shows them the way, and helps them see what they're capable of.
That's the Ellie I knew. That's the Ellie who rewrote her own rowing story — and the one I was proud to help shape.
Photos taken and supplied by Colleen McClure
Nicki was my coach throughout my entire rowing journey at school, and she completely transformed the way I approached the sport. Her technical focus was next level, every session centred on quality over quantity. We constantly reviewed video footage, breaking down each stroke to make small but powerful improvements. She placed a big emphasis on controlling the controllables. From nutrition and recovery to mindset, ensuring we fuelled our bodies and trained smart. She was incredibly knoledgeable and supported each athlete's individual journey all the way to their peak performance.
Selected as stroke seat of Australian Under 19 Eight
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