Armstrong and Stowell on life after the Olympics

by Belinda Stowell on 8 Feb 2005 It has been a few months since our return from Athens and the Australian Summer sailing series has been and gone. It felt very strange to not have entered any competitions and not sailed much at all! Yes I am having withdrawal symptoms.

It has been a time of many changes for both Jenny and I. It is a difficult position to be in after having had firm goals ahead for so many years. So, both of us are still mucking around in boats….

Jenny is now working for a yacht charter company called Sydney By Sail which is owned and run by Matt Hayes, a fellow Olympian from the 1996 Games.

Jenny, in her own words, has found her place in the world and loves it! Her days involve booking charters and promoting the business to media and booking agents, all from the rocking and swaying office on the water at Darling Harbour.

She also gets out on the water and sets up races, treasure hunts and social races for the clients, and I am sure she can’t resist throwing them a few sailing tips too! You can contact her at jenny@sydneybysail.com or if you are in Darling Harbour on the weekends, pop down and say hello.

Jenny has also been doing some coaching for the youth classes and is managing to fit in some extra work at the Sydney Visitor Centre. She is loving being in one place for a while and I am sure the much dreamt of pet will be purchased as soon as there is room for it in the house!

I just can’t seem to get away from the sailing arena and have stepped into coaching. With Victor Kovalenko as the Head Coach, I am still being guided by the great master. (or pushed – sometimes I am not sure which!) I accepted a job in what some may think is another country, given that it is 3000 km away in Perth.

It is really hard leaving my partner, friends and home in Sydney and my favourite training ground, but going back to Perth has a homely feeling as I lived there for 5 years while at university. Most of my family lives there and have found many supporters in Perth. The job is Head Coach for the Sailing Program at the Western Australian Institute of Sport.

I was on the usual summer racing circuit but as a coach not a sailor which is pretty tough for an athlete! (Yes I still enjoy training). I was at more regattas than usual being a coach for more than one class. (Thanks to Balgowlah Automotive for once again helping me out with their fantastic ute! Getting places would have been complicated with out it.)

Watching others sail and not competing myself has been a difficult thing, but I have committed to coaching for a time. It is good to get new perspectives, and learn more about the sport from new angles. I have a great team in WA to work with. The new women’s 470 National Champions are from Perth and there is a good young team of youth sailors.

I must admit it was hard enough organizing my own goals and plans but now with about 20 sailors to plan for, I am finding the job pretty tough!

Although there are no definite plans for continuing our sailing, Jenny is struggling with retirement and I am taking time to coach and look at a few options to remain competitive. With both of us getting our coaching qualifications for the next level, sailors should still see us around.

It is good to be earning money and doing something different after 10 years or more in elite sport, but the training still goes on as it is hard to break a habit and to be honest – it’s good fun!

We would like to take the chance once again to say a big thank you to the supporters who have helped us so much and we continue to talk so much about all the assistance we have been given.

Thanks to our supporters and sponsors:

Belle Property – Premium Property Specialists

Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club

Computershare

LINE 7 and Musto

RONSTAN

Balgowlah Automotive

Driveaway Holidays

My bank: Westpac

Oakley

North Sails Japan

AYF with Schenker and P&O Shipping

The governments: Australian Sports
Commission/AIS, WAIS, NSWIS

Sailing clubs: Royal Freshwater Bay YC and Middle Harbour YC

Happy sailing,

Belinda and Jenny
www.sailinggirls.com.au