THERE are always plenty of laughs in Rita Brown's boat when her crew trains on Lake Wendouree.
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Her crewmates say they kind of have to enjoy each others' company they are in close confines for rowing practice, with nowhere to run but all truly love getting out on the water, having fun and having a go.
Rita says her crewmates are an inspiration leading into the World Masters Rowing Championships. They keep her motivated. And they keep her laughing. But they say Rita is their inspiration on the water.
Wendouree-Ballarat crewmate Jenn Atchison says the smile on Rita's face was incredible when she first got back in the boat on Lake Wendouree about three months ago three weeks after she finished chemotherapy.
Rita had not long taken up the sport last year when she was diagnosed with and had surgery for bowel cancer.
Her crewmates quip that Rita had seemed more devastated about giving up rowing for a while, than she had been with the diagnosis.
Rita laughs and agrees.
"It felt brilliant being out there again. There is a different feeling out on the water, everything is so much more peaceful even when we were out in the rain the other day," Rita says.
"My technique had fallen away a bit, but it felt good and my balance was good."
The Wendouree-Ballarat crew will row in the B-grade women's coxed four 1000 metres on Thursday afternoon, day one of the masters' race program.
This is their first major regatta together. Jenn Atchison and Kelly Steegstra had been struggling to fill a boat for the masters, recruiting Nadene Murfett, with Nadene's husband Craig as coach, and it was Nadene who called on Rita to join them.
Sixteen-year-old Tayla Jarvis, from Ballarat High School, will be their cox.
Rita says the crew had been patient as she rebuilt strength and stamina on the water.
Jenn says they never once felt frustrated because of the effort Rita put in at each and every session.
Besides, their coach made sure all their training loads were balanced even if that meant splitting into pairs some nights.
"Rita has such a great spirit and passion for rowing," Jenn says.
"We're all doing this for the experience ... we've all just started rowing in the past few years and we're up against people from across the world who have been rowing all their lives."
But they still have to put in a lot of kilometres and a lot of hard sessions to be ready for the world stage.
The crew has gelled so well that the four plan to stay together for the upcoming open and masters seasons.
Dimboola is going to be special.
That was the last regatta Rita raced before starting chemo and the regatta she set as a goal to make her return before she realised she could return for the world masters.
Plus, Jenn and Kelly are vying to go back-to-back in the four and really want to do so with their new crew.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au