Rowing Australia Announces Family Grant

In a move to further assist its athletes win Olympic and world championship medals, Rowing Australia has announced a number of Family Support initiatives.

 With the Australian Rowing Team spending 10 weeks away from home in both 2011 and 2012, the family support measures have been designed to reduce time spent away from families and boost morale, a factor which Rowing Australia believes will assist its athletes to win medals.

The initiatives have been targeted specifically at touring athletes and coaches who have dependent school age children or younger, and have been provided for six athletes and eight coaches.

Rowing Australia will fly the partners and children of the athletes and coaches to Europe so that they can spend time together during a designated training block at the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre in Varese, Italy.

These initiatives were made possible through the Australian Government’s Green and Gold funding, in which Rowing Australia was allocated $300,000 to assist its elite athletes in their pursuit of Olympic medals.

Rowing Australia CEO Andrew Dee says the initiative was an important part of the team’s Olympic campaign.

“In the past we have lost many talented rowers who have been unable to continue their careers in rowing as they started their families,” Dee said. “We have two team members who are aiming to become the first mothers to row for Australia at the Olympic Games and this grant will assist them as they chase their Olympic dream, whilst also tending to their children.”

Assuming the success of the program in 2011, the intention is to offer Family Support Payments in 2012 as well and Dee said it was an exciting prospect.

“We want to ensure that we keep the best rowers in our program, whilst also giving them the support to fulfil their roles as parents,” Dee said. “We have not had the ability to support our athletes and coaches like this in the past and we hope that through this initiative an environment will be created that lends itself to even better performances.”

-Rowing Australia