Durban’s hopes for glory flew to Australia yesterday with the five crew members who will compete in the 2024 Lifesaving World Championships.
The team consists of four women ‒ Kendra Robinson, Janeira Reddy, Anike Jordaan and Ciarda Sharp ‒ and a male, Gary Brummer, who controls the boat.
They will compete next Friday and Saturday at Australia’s Gold Coast.
Robinson, 29, from Glenwood, said yesterday she was very excited and nervous about what lay ahead.
This is the first time a South African rowing crew ‒ excluding the sweep ‒ has been all-women.
Surfboating is a competitive element of surf lifesaving that requires crews consisting of five competitors: four rowers and a sweep. The sweep is the captain who controls the boat with a sweep oar and provides strategic instructions to navigate challenges.
“I am excited because of us growing the sport as a full female rowing crew and the first from South Africa to compete at an international level.
“I am also nervous because we have never competed internationally but we have competed provincially, where we are super confident. Internationally, it is scary but very exciting because we are going to meet other women in the sport,” she said.
Robinson said that plenty of preparation had gone into ensuring they were ready for the big day, including a lot of training in the early hours of the morning before going to work.
Robinson said she fell in love with the sport many years ago.
“I joined the Marine Lifesaving club about eight years ago and then in 2018, my dad Leo climbed into a surfboat and because he and I are super competitive with each other, I decided to jump on the boat and give it a try. I have fallen in love with the sport.
“I do not see myself stopping any time soon because I love it to bits. We hope that after we get back from Australia, we can encourage more women to go this route,” she said.
Robinson said that some of the challenges they encountered was constant colds caught in the early mornings.
“We are a crew and we often catch a cold. Because we are a crew, everyone has to be well for us to row the boat. So, if one crew member is not well, then the whole crew is affected and cannot train,” she said.
Robinson said she eagerly looks forward to the feeling she gets when she stands on the start-line.
At home, Robinson, also a beauty therapist, owns a coffee shop, tuck shop and a company in which she works as an advanced sports therapist.
Robinson encouraged other young women who wish to see themselves in a similar position someday to never give up.
“Keep pushing and do not allow anyone to tell you that you cannot do something, because you can. Do not listen to them.
“As long as you get your mindset right and keep yourself positive and do it with excellence, you will be able to do it,” she said.