Tom Gatti appointed WAIS Rowing Pathway Coach

The Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Gatti as WAIS Rowing Pathway Coach.

Gatti has served as the Head Coach of Fremantle Rowing Club since 2017 and has more than a decade of coaching experience across WA schools and clubs. He acted as the WAIS Rowing Assistant Coach in the middle of 2021, while WAIS staff were seconded to the Australian Olympic Team.

His appointment completes a new young and dynamic rowing program staff team at WAIS, led by Head Coach Jamie Hewlett who was appointed to the role in December last year, after serving as Assistant Coach for four years. Both are products of the WA system, with their understanding and connections of the system positioning the sport to go from strength to strength over the next Olympic cycle.

The Pathway Coach will manage and deliver talent identification initiatives that increase rower transition from school to clubs, fostering positive relationships and collaboration with school rowing coaches, and providing technical leadership in support of the WA rowing pathway.

The WAIS rowing program runs a daily training environment for emerging and developing athletes, in alignment with Rowing Australia and Rowing WA, that develops rowers capable of selection for Rowing Australia Underage National Teams and with the intention to graduate athletes to a Rowing Australia National Training Centre and the Australian Rowing Team.

“It is with great pleasure that I have accepted the role as WAIS Rowing Pathway Coach, I look forward to developing the next generation of Western Australian rowers,” said Gatti.

“Being a former WAIS athlete, WA rower and now coach, I have developed many relationships within the rowing community. I am now looking forward to developing new relationships within this role.”

WAIS Performance Team Director Sheila Galloway welcomed Gatti’s appointment. “Tom brings over 10 years of experience in the WA rowing pathway to the role, as a former WAIS scholarship holder and a coach, most recently as the Head Coach at Fremantle Rowing Club.

“Tom will work closely with the School Rowing Coaches, WA clubs and pathway athletes to uncover and fast track athletes by providing the best possible support for athletes to transition to WAIS scholarship and ultimately Australian Team Selections.”

Rowing WA Chief Executive Officer Daniel Tackenberg said, “Tom will be a great asset to the WA and Australian High Performance rowing system.

“Its also fantastic to see a strong pathway for WA coaches with both Jamie and Tom developing their coaching skills in WA schools and clubs. Hopefully this inspires other WA rowing coaches to follow their dreams and follow in the footsteps of Tom and developing an exciting career in rowing.”