No matter how many times you’ve sat at the start line of a race, the nerves never go away.
Aligning with the stakeboats of Henley Royal Regatta this year was a crew that had been there before, but in different boats, at different times and on different pathways. Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis are one of the most accomplished duos in rowing, but both still feel the unique jangle of emotions on the startline of the world’s best-known Regatta.
Having secured gold in the women’s double sculls at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, one would think that the pair were somewhat immune to pre-race tension. Spoors, though, admitted that despite having been in this exact spot before, they were a little apprehensive to race at Henley Royal Regatta.
"There's no room for error," said Spoors.
‘You have to be on your game from the first stroke and execute everything perfectly. You can't take any competitor for granted, because it's a knock out. If they get an inch in front, it’s potentially game over.”
For the New Zealanders, their return to racing up the course marks a new chapter for their rowing careers. Henley Royal Regatta was their first international appearance since Paris, and Francis admitted she'd missed racing.
“We're just really happy to be back here and back together,” she explained. “We've spent some time out of the boat, so it's a special feeling for me because I've missed it. I've watched the World Rowing Cups, and I can't wait to be back out there again.”
Reflecting back on their Olympic success, an achievement that came just a handful of months after the birth of both of their children, they quickly attributed their result to the consistent support they’d received from the sidelines.
“I still feel a sense of overwhelming gratitude for the people that helped us do it,” commented Spoors. “We had so many people in our corner backing us to return as mothers. So I still just look back on that really positively, not just for the experience, but for being able to bring the people that helped us along for the ride.”
Both Francis and Spoors are assured that motherhood has not diminished their rowing careers, but has simply changed the way that they are experiencing them. Having rejoined the national programme, the duo reflected on balancing parenting with their sporting ambitions.
“I've got two children now, and can't say it gets any easier,” said Francis. “But it's fun for us and it's actually quite refreshing. It's nice to have time to be an athlete, do our training, and then you go home and you're straight back into mum mode.”
Asked what advice they would give other mothers, both resisted offering a blueprint.
“I would always just advocate for doing what works best for you,” said Spoors.
What this New Zealand crew demonstrates is the possibility of doing both. Balancing elite sport with motherhood, Francis and Spoors reflect the importance of adaptability, and trusting decisions that feel right at different stages of life.
For both, motherhood has not diminished their drive, but simply reshaped perspective, showing that elite sport and family life can coexist. Surmising their experience, Francis stated:
“You can never overthink rowing too much because you’ve got these little people at home who need you.”
