Did you hear the one about the talented South African triathlete who went to the United States to be a nanny and ended up being a world championship rower?
She is Ursula Grobler, who is in Wanganui for tonight's Lion Foundation night sprints and tomorrow's Prospace Billy Webb Challenge women's raceon the river.
When Grobler, 30, arrived in the US five years ago, she had no pretensions of being a rower, let alone one who has just won quad silver in the lightweight division at Karapiro.
"I had just finished my graphic design degree and went to the US to do some nannying in Seattle," she said yesterday. "Then I saw a notice offering learn-to-row classes and I took it up. While the kids were at school I went to the rowing centre and grew to enjoy it."
A year later she landed a graphic design job, but soon lost it due to company downsizing.
Luckily, a row coach saw her potential and she became virtually a fulltime rower, culminating last year in victory in her section at the prestigious Head of Charles in Boston.
She gained her US citizenship this year, then earned a world championship team trial and won selection for Karapiro.
Also this year she became the women's world lightweight ergometer champion, clocking 6min 54s for 2000m on a rowing machine.
Grobler may have the Star Spangled Banner draped around her on the podium, but still speaks like a South African. The accent will take time, but she sees her future in the US.
For now, she's enjoying the sights of New Zealand. She'll take home happy memories of Wanganui, especially if she has a win or two in the next few days.
"From what I've been told, it's a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it," she said.
