Rowing: Making mum, dad and Whanganui proud

Kerri (left) and Jackie Gowler are doing mum, dad, Whanganui and the country proud on the world rowing stage.

Brent and Dianne Gowler were counting down the minutes in Cambridge on Wednesday waiting to celebrate the arrival home of elite rowing daughters Kerri and Jackie.

The Gowler sisters flew into Auckland yesterday afternoon and immediately shuttled down to Waikato after starring at yet another World Rowing Cup in Switzerland.

Older sibling Kerri won gold in the women's pairs with partner Grace Prendergast hard on the heels of gold in Poland. Jackie Gowler raced in both A-finals at Lucerne and in Poland finishing behind the placegetters.

They and fellow Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club member Chris Harris and Union Boat Club's Rebecca Scown are all in fine form managing to peak several times in the past few months. Harris also repeated his gold medal-winning Ponzan, Poland performance with another win at Lucerne at the weekend in the men's double sculls, while Scown won silver in the New Zealand women's eight.

The Gowler girls grew up in Whanganui as farm girls when father Brent worked for the Polson family in Mangamahu up near Fields Track. The parents then farmed at Halcombe for many years before moving to their latest challenge on a coastal block not far from Waitomo.

"It's pretty fantastic what they have achieved," Brent Gowler told the Chronicle on Wednesday.

"In fact all the Whanganui rowers have been brilliant. We (wife Dianne) are just waiting for the girls to shuttle into Cambridge after flying back into New Zealand this morning. We'll catch up for a wee bit of a celebration."

The proud mum and dad are in regular contact with both daughters during international regattas, including this latest escapade in Switzerland.

"We talk two or three times a week and message daily and they are both loving it. Jackie actually raced in the same A Finals as Kerri in Poland and Switzerland finishing sixth in the latest race. She is reserve for the women's pair and the women's eight," Gowler senior said.

"They don't have much time to reflect because they'll be straight back into it to prepare for the World Champs in Florida."

The Gowlers are now preparing more room at home to display the rapidly increasing medal tally.

"Kerri in particular sends us medals and things. We have a special set of deer antlers that we hang medals from and we have a trophy cabinet - we're very proud."