"Rowing was traditionally a male sport and it was a big deal across the New Zealand scene as clubs started to bring in women," Stevenson says of a sport which first allowed women to participate at the Olympics in 1976.
"Clubrooms generally had only one toilet and changing rooms. Clubs now embrace female athletes as part of generating competition and a good culture.
"My [three] brothers all rowed at high school, so I was dragged to regattas each weekend. There was no pressure for me to row but, after a year, I found myself wanting to give it a go. I enjoyed the atmosphere."
Stevenson's father Herb was part of the New Zealand eight that won the world championship in 1982 and 1983 but she says the Evers-Swindell twins, as double Olympic gold medallists, provided the inspiration for her generation.
"They were huge for me. For younger girls involved in sport, having female role models like that in the public eye is vital. Having people they want to emulate gives them a boost to stay in love with sport."
Stevenson cites golfer Lydia Ko as an example of a sportswoman having a global impact on a younger generation. Ko competes in the final women's major of the year next week, less than two hours northeast of Aiguebelette in Evian-les-Bains.
"Lydia's huge. It seems like she's on every second billboard or bus stop over here. I saw them and thought, 'oh, yeah, there's Lydia', then I thought, 'wait a minute, we're in France, what's she doing?'
"I'm not sure you see the same impact with young girls playing rugby because the Black Ferns aren't seen as often in the media, so they don't see a pathway. That may change with the introduction of sevens to the Olympics.
"There's huge media around the All Blacks but a lack of the same hype around, for argument's sake, the netballers.
"There's no one to blame, that's just the way it is, but sometimes you need investment of time and energy into sports to give them a boost."
MacKenzie says rowing in New Zealand is going from strength to strength.
"It's cool to be part of building such a successful women's programme," she said. "After the Evers-Swindells, the focus turned to the success of the men's pair and Mahe [Drysdale] for a few years but it's great so many women's crews, and now the eight, are stepping up and pushing to be the best.
"I prefer not to think of it as being about gender as much. It's more about being a country which dominates in small boats but which is starting to develop success in bigger boats as well."
Stevenson says Tonks has also been pivotal to increased female success. He focused on the women's programme after the last Olympics, having coached the Evers-Swindells throughout their senior careers.
"I've never heard him say anything other than, 'girls can do what boys can do'. He's been an inspiration. If we hadn't had someone like him investing early on, we'd never have got anywhere near where we are now."
