It's going to be difficult to wipe the smile off the face of Teagan Blythe. The year 12 Loreto student has just found out she will be heading to Tokyo to represent Australia as part of the 2019 Junior Australian Rowing Team in August.
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"I was just stoked," is what Blythe told The Courier she was feeling when she found out she had been selected.
"Obviously (rowing is) a very hard sport but it's just so rewarding. It's one of those sports that teaches you life skills, you get so many good qualities out of it."
Blythe started rowing in year 10, adopting the sport her dad had previously loved.
"My dad was a rower in his day and I decided I wanted to try rowing, Loreto had a program and I just jumped in."
Loreto rowing coordinator Gabi Howard said when Blythe started in the rowing program she avoided detection and simply went with the flow.
"Teags started late, she tried out at the end of year nine for the year 10 program," Howard said.
"She came through and floated under the radar for a bit in year 10 before moving into the senior program in year 11."
Watch Teagan row with the Loreto crew here:
Once a part of the senior rowing program, Blythe's determination and will to improve began to shine through.
"She started in the open div 3 boat and we just kept watching her develop and get stronger and more confident as a rower," Howard said.
"Her testing kept improving and when she came back after summer she had earned her spot in the div 1 boat."
Blythe spoke about how her time as a member of the rowing program helped her through a somewhat difficult time in high school.
The Loreto rowing program has helped me develop so much, not just as an athlete but as a person,"
- Teagan Blythe
"Before I started rowing I was having a bit of trouble finding myself and rowing just provided such an amazing sense of belonging and friendship."
The 17-year-old will be the first Loreto rower to represent Australia as part of the junior rowing team. She spoke about the sense of pride she is feeling in representing not only her school but also her home town.
"It's hard to put into words," Blythe said.
"I have such a sense of pride in not only representing Australia but representing my school and Ballarat. All the people who have pushed me to get to this point are here supporting me."
Going forward, Blythe said she is going to take rowing as far as she can.
"If my rowing career ended after this I could honestly say I'd be happy with what I've achieved, but if I'm lucky enough to keep on rowing that would be a dream."
The 2019 World Rowing Junior Championships take place in Tokyo, Japan from August 7 to 11.
