Rowing scholarship winners from Sacred Heart Girls' College are off to the US

Emily Gordon, Brooke Pitchford with coach Kylee Corboy at Maadi Cup 2021. Photo / Supplied

Three Sacred Heart Girls' College Year 13 students and rowing champs have been awarded scholarships to universities in the United States.

Thanks to their outstanding rowing achievements, Maiya Birdling received a scholarship to the University of Tennessee, Brooke Pitchford received one for Indiana University and Emily Gordon will go to the Southern Methodist University in Texas.

Rowing coach and Sacred Heart alumni Kylee Corboy is super proud of the trio and said they truly deserve their scholarships. "They are such hard-working girls. They have that drive and vision you need to do well."

She says there has always been a myth that rowers have to stay in the country if they want to row for New Zealand.

"But RowNZ are supportive now of sending rowers to the likes of the US and UK on scholarships. So these girls can do that, see some of the world and then come back to New Zealand and row for our country later on. It's a different way of experiencing rowing at a top level."

Maiya and Emily were previously enrolled at other schools but started at Sacred Heart especially to join the rowing squad.

Since then, the three girls were pretty busy collecting heaps of medals and amazing achievements like Maiya being selected for the North Island Under-18 team and Brooke and Emily being selected for the NZ Under-19 team in the women's coxless four.

Coach Kylee Corboy and Maiya Birdling. Photo / Supplied

Looking at their academic commitments, Kylee says this was why a more balanced approach to training is important.

"Lots of people don't get involved in rowing because of the super early mornings, but I think balance is better, especially at school age because they do have school and homework to think of too and some of the older girls have part-time jobs."

The girls say that their scholarship requirements also put a limit on the number of hours they could train and specialist staff was involved working with the athletes to ensure their work was up to standard.

Brook's achievements so far:

• Maadi Cup, silver girls U18 pair
• Maadi Cup, qualified for Four A finals at U18 level, Including all sweep events (pair, four and eight) and the girls U18 single
• North Island Club Champs, gold girls U18 pair
• North Island Secondary Schools Champs, gold girls U18 pair
• New Zealand Club National Championships, gold women's club pair and women's club coxless four