A TWO week training camp on the Manning River has again been the choice of Sydney University Boat Club as their athletes aim to peak over the next two months at the New South Wales and Australian Rowing Championships.
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While the three sessions a day may be physically draining, it is an opportune time of year to make some big improvements before the business end of the season.
For current world championship silver medallist, Cameron Girdlestone, it is a chance to get through a mountain of work before selection races come up later this month and next.
"This is our last real opportunity to get some serious high volume training done as when we return home we have a series of selection events to prepare for and freshen up for" Girdlestone said.
He has been pleased with how preparations have been going on camp.
"We are getting some really good solid training done and the Manning River is turning it on for us, been great water this week after last week's downpour where conditions were pretty tough. Now it's perfect water to smash the kilometres each day," Girdlestone said.
Girdlestone is one of 13 heavyweight men looking to claim a spot on the team at the Rio Olympic Games. The silver medal from Aiguebelette, France in the quad scull helped qualify the boat for the games, but the six sculling seats in the two qualified boats are very much still up for grabs.
"I am currently focused on the single scull as this is the boat we get our national ranking on at Olympic trials in February, so my goal in training at the moment is to be the best I can be in the single and aim for a top two finish. Being here in Taree allows me to really focus on my goal and maximise every stroke I take and know it's one step closer to achieving my goal in the single and all going well, my ultimate goal of being on the start line in Rio in the men's quadruple scull," he added.
A national junior sculling champion and schoolboy eight champion, Girdlestone went on and briefly dabbled in lightweight rowing (below 72.5 kilograms), but his 189 centimetre frame was more suited to heavyweight rowing and he has since built his frame back up to a powerful 90+ kilograms.
A breakthrough season in 2014 saw him make his first senior national team and he was the sole member of the 2014 crew which placed 15th onl yto win a medal in the same boat the following year.
Sydney University men's captain Hamish Playfair acknowledges the great benefit his presence at a camp provides.
"Having someone of Cam's ability on camp is great for the younger guys. He's someone to look up to, not only for what he has achieved, but also how he goes about his training and sculling."
One of the up and coming athletes at the camp is Alex Purnell. The younger brother of London Olympic men's eight stroke, Nick, the 20 year old won a bronze medal in the quad scull at the 2015 World Under 23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Purnell is racing in the men's under 23 single scull at 8.05am on Sunday at the Taree Summer Regatta.
