Grace Hogan: Daughter of a champion follows her own path

Being the daughter of a three-time world champion rower can be tough - just ask Grace Hogan.

Hogan is the daughter of Philippa Baker-Hogan who won gold medals in Vienna, Racice and Indianapolis as well as representing New Zealand twice at the Olympics.

Having that pedigree, Hogan - a rower herself - was never going to be able to escape comparisons to her mother and a level of expectation placed upon her by her peers.

However, Hogan is paddling her own path and in August will fly out to the United States of America on a 100 per cent scholarship to San Diego State University where she will study and row.

The 18-year-old got the confirmation after applying to get into approximately 40 American universities.

"It was like a job for a while. I'd go to school and on my breaks I'd be emailing universities and setting up Skype calls," Hogan said.

"I did it without an agent. Most people do it with an agent and they cost around $5000.

I thought I could do it on my own."

The fully paid scholarship is worth about $65,000 per year and covers tuition, books, accomodation, meals and insurance.

Hogan will spend four years studying a bachelor of science majoring in biology, with a view to getting into medicine.

The news came at a good time for Hogan who said she had been at a low point in her life due to bullying at school and also out on the water.

The bullying affected not only how she felt, but also how she performed, leading to a less than desirable end to her 2018 season.

Hogan remembers finishing a physical education assignment at school before checking her emails and discovering she had been accepted.

"I think the coach and I just clicked. It's a memory I'll never forget, I was ecstatic," she said.

"My childhood dream was to go to an American university as a competitive swimmer, but I got tired of swimming after about 11 years and decided to give rowing a go."

Baker-Hogan began taking her daughter to the pool when she was about 7, just as her mother had taken her and her six sisters to the pool every morning.

Hogan would cry some mornings being taken to the pool, but eventually she started to really enjoy swimming while attending Whanganui Intermediate School.

From as early on as her time at St John's Hill School she remembers wanting to make her mum proud.

"I felt like I disappointed her throughout primary school because the narrative was always 'Philippa Baker's daughter is lining up...and she loses'.

"I always felt that pressure on my shoulders. Because of who my mother is, I feel like people have always been threatened in a way, they won't give me a chance.

"That's always been hard, but I've got to a point now where I take it in my stride. She's my mum and I love her."

In year 11 Hogan was sick of getting chlorine burn from hours spent in the pool and decided it was time for a change so she decided to give rowing a go with her friend Georgia Kerins.

"At first we hated it because with swimming, you grab your gear bag, you put it down by the pool, you dive in and you swim. It's simple," Hogan said.

"For rowing you'd bike down, get your boat out, sort your feet out, get your oars out and by this time in swimming you would have been in the water and done your warm up."

Despite their initial frustration, the duo soon changed their tune when winning medals in the New Zealand Secondary Schools novice doubles competition at Whanganui Collegiate.

She now considers rowing a real passion, thanking her parents, teacher Gillian Eades, the Rotary Club of Wanganui North and swimming coach Andy McLay for their support.

"You can be an allrounder in rowing, which I love. You run, cycle and gym and it all goes towards your overall outcome in rowing," Hogan said.

"I've always loved the water. I've got a great feeling for it. In swimming, I use my arm to pull the water and in rowing, the oar's just an extension of my arm."