Getting up at 5am, spending hours of unpaid work coaching and organising events - it's all in a day's work for members of the Rotorua Rowing Club.
Their tireless efforts were rewarded last night at the Rotorua Convention Centre when it took out the supreme title at the
annual TrustPower Spirit of Rotorua Awards. It's been a ripper year for the club, capped off with one of its star members, Laura Fisher, winning silver at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.
The hours of coaching to produce top athletes are unpaid - which is estimated to be about 13 hours a week for each coach.
The club also held a successful Blue Lake Regatta in January which attracted up to 1500 competitors and about 8000 supporters.
Part of the prize is $1500 and the right to represent the Rotorua district at the TrustPower National Community Awards in Taupo in March.
Club captain Kevin Cooney accepted the award saying rowing was a great discipline for young people.
"They get up at 5 or 5.30 every morning and take to the lakes before they start their school day and it also teaches them to be part of a team. If you have eight in the team, you need eight on the water."
TrustPower chief executive Keith Tempest said volunteer organisations were the glue that kept communities together.
"Rotorua is the most beautiful city in New Zealand and tonight we have heard from some beautiful people as well," he said.
