Fischer on a wave of success

by Craig Tiriana, The Daily Post - Rotorua on 7 May 2006 Laura Fischer is headed into unchartered waters.

Not only will the Rotorua 17-year-old become the city's first New Zealand rowing representative later this year but somehow she also needs to come up with about $7000.

That's what it will cost for her to take her place in the New Zealand Junior women's quadruple scull for August's World Championships in Amsterdam, Holland although Rowing New Zealand will be working on reducing the total through their sponsors. Fischer isn't sure how she'll raise some of the money but she admits she's got some explaining to do as she is required to move to Cambridge full time for the rowing programme in three weeks.

'I've just got a part-time job but I'll probably have to ditch that because of moving and do a bit of fundraising,' the 1.71cm and 67kg Fischer told the Daily Post.

Rowing for New Zealand has been a dream since she attended her first nationals and the thought of following in the wake of the world's best paddlers had her bubbling with excitement.

'Ahhh - I'm quite pleased,' she gushed about her selection which wouldn't have happened if she'd followed the same path as her original crewmates at Rotorua Lakes High School.

'A group of friends from school all decided to get into it ... they all dropped out by the end of the season,' Fischer laughs.

Now in her fifth season, she was one of Rotorua Lakes High School's stars at the recent Maadi Cup and was selected after a week-long series of trials at Lake Karipiro which finished yesterday.

Rotorua Rowing Club spokesman Wayne Mansell said it was a big achievement for the area to get their first national representative.

'It's a coup for Rotorua, especially being from a small club and a small rowing school ... this says she's right out there with the elite in the world, if you look through the other rowers they're from the rowing powerhouses,' Mansell said. Rowing New Zealand selectors named a junior women's four and quadruple scull, and a junior men's eight and double scull.

The world junior championships are in Amsterdam from August 2-5.