Ballarat Grammar boat christening brings back memories for Olympian

By Melanie Whelan
Updated November 2 2012 - 5:59pm, first published November 6 2011 - 11:32am
Director of rowing Luke Pougnalt, senior girls rowing team member Vicki Powel, Old Grammarian rower and Olympian Bronwyn Thompson and senior boys rowing team member Sam Ballantyne at the christening of a Ballarat Grammar boat on Saturday.
Director of rowing Luke Pougnalt, senior girls rowing team member Vicki Powel, Old Grammarian rower and Olympian Bronwyn Thompson and senior boys rowing team member Sam Ballantyne at the christening of a Ballarat Grammar boat on Saturday.

OLD GRAMMARIAN Bronwyn Thompson says the Head of the Lake was the most stressful rowing event she has contested – followed by the Olympics.Thompson returned to the banks of Lake Wendouree on Saturday and could clearly remember the hype about Boat Race.The dual Olympian was special guest at a Ballarat Grammar boat christening, followed by a Sport by Wendouree gala dinner on Saturday evening.Thompson attended Grammar from 1985 to 1990, made her Boat Race debut in the fourths in 1988 and rowed in the firsts a year later.She did not win a race until 1990, when Grammar took Head of the Lake honours.“I sure do remember Head of the Lake, it was probably one of the most stressful races – then the Olympics,” Thompson said.“At Head of the Lake, all your family and friends were out watching you with the whole community. Often you’d turn up at national and international events and yes, there were heaps of people, but it was nothing like the intensity of Head of the Lake.”This is Thompson’s first visit back to Grammar since 1996 after the Atlanta Olympics.The Canberra-based Thompson was impressed with the Grammar boat sheds, having mostly worked out of community rowing club sheds in her school days.Ballarat Grammar christened its new four-seat training racer “Grammar Auxiliary” to honour the auxiliary’s donation to the school’s boat shed.Grammar rowing director Luke Pougnault said it was great to have the shed in full use and crews in full training on the water ahead of a return to racing on the lake.Ballarat Associated Schools’ Head of the Lake regatta will be back on Lake Wendouree next year for the first time since it was held on a shortened course in 2003.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options

Get the latest Ballarat news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.