This week I interviewed Danjels Reedman, a member of the under 23 men’s quad. As a newcomer to the team, Danjels provides an interesting insight into what it is like to finally achieve your goal of making a national team, only to suddenly have to relocate to the other side of Australia.  Arriving in Perth just over a week ago, he writes to tell us all about the battles (and poles) over on the Swan River.

Personal details:

When you were selected, you found out that you had to relocate. Did you find it easy or hard to up-and-move?

Going into the final selection trials I knew it was highly unlikely I would be based in Sydney to train for the world championships. That being said I was ready to move, it was a shock however to be told that I would be leaving for Perth in 3 days time! As I work for the St. George RC they were very understanding and very flexible when it came to take time off due to rowing commitments. Luckily I also have a great family who if I need something done in Sydney they will try and take care of it for me.

Where are you training overseas, for how long, and any other details of the trip.

Our crew will be flying out on July 14 where we have a stop over in KL then we fly to Switzerland. In Switzerland we will be watching the finals at the world cup in Luzern, which will be a highlight I’m sure! From there I believe we have a relatively short bus trip to Verase in Northern Italy where we will spend 8 days in training.

Have you ever been overseas before?

This is the first time I will be travelling overseas as a member of the Australian Rowing Team.

Crew/coach/environment:

How did you find selection? How was it different to last year/previous years?

The selection trials were very intense this year. The level of u23 sculling has improved so much in the last year, which is shown by the amount of u23 scullers who have made the senior a squad. For me personally, after the first day of racing I tore the VMO muscle in my right thigh, which made racing fairly difficult! I ended up sitting out for 4 days of racing at the regatta waiting for the swelling to subside and hopefully get enough movement in my knee to be able to race again. Luckily after a lot of physio and doctors appointments I got a start in the quad and after a fairly good race the selectors picked the crew later that evening. Compared to last year, this year’s selection regatta was obviously much more successful. Being my second year of trialling for the Australian team I knew to always expect the unexpected and stay positive even when things are looking bleak!

How are you handling your injury? Is there concern about how it will hold up throughout the campaign?

With a muscle tear there is always that thought in the back of your mind that it could flare up again but as long as I manage it properly and recover after sessions it should be ok!

So far what are the good/bad aspects of training in Perth?

Obviously the hardest part about making such a move is not being around family and friends. Even though it is only until August that I am away for it’s the first time I’ve spent an extended period of time away from home. Another not so good aspect of training away from home is being on an unfamiliar river. In my second session on the water I was in the bow seat of a double with Steve Fletcher (a WA local) paddling along quite nicely when all of a sudden the boat was stopped by a pole tearing the rigger in half!

What is Jason Lane (coach) like? How is he different/similar from Ron Batt?

Jason has been great so far. He is very well organised and I think that he will do everything he can do to work with the four of us to make the boat go as fast as possible! In the short period of time that I have been here I can tell that similarly to Ron he is very enthusiastic about coaching and believes that he is doing the best thing he can do for his athletes.

Training:

What was the first thing that you did when you were selected? What have you been doing this last week?

The day before I left for Penrith I went and sat in the freezing cold just looking into the ocean thinking about the upcoming 10 days and what I was going to do to get through them successfully. After getting selected I went back to that same spot but this time it was clear and sunny and I just sat there for a few minutes thinking about the training and all the people that have helped me get to this stage. After doing that I then went out and celebrated with my family and friends!

So far this week Jason has just been easing us back into training. Nothing overly intense... yet!

What is your program like?

The program is hard. I have probably done more ergo work in the last week than I have done all year! We generally have 2 sessions a day i.e. one in the morning, one in the afternoon. The morning sessions are rowing in doubles or the quad followed by weights or ergs in the afternoon. The majority of the work is done as a group, which I think makes it a bit easier because it’s nice to know that the bloke next to you is hurting just as much and he’s still going.

What is it like being surrounded by hungry, tired and skinny lightweights? Do you train together?

The lightweights are good to have around. We had a ‘steak night’ at the Swan River RC the other night and it was good to see the lighties not holding back on the food just yet! It is also good to have my training partner from St. George Rod Chisholm here. It’s nice to have some familiar faces around. We haven’t had any training sessions together but I get the feeling that this will happen later on down the track.

Four young men and a bunch of lightweights. How competitive is the group?

The group is very competitive with each other but in a good way. We are always supporting and encouraging each other on the water, on erg’s and in the gym. I love having a competitive environment to train in. At this level it would be too hard to train at the intensity required if I was by myself or people that were blasé about their performance.

What are you doing throughout the days when you are not rowing?

Generally my time during the day is spent sleeping! If I have enough energy though I like to head down to the beach for a swim or surf.

Emotional attitudes:

What are you most excited about?

The fact that I am representing Australia.

What are you most worried about?

Probably about getting caught up in something that isn’t worth worrying about.

What are your short-term goals?

To make my country proud by performing well at the upcoming world championships. I definitely want to row for Australia at the 2008 or 2012 Olympic Games.

What is the biggest difference between what you thought it would be like to embark on such a campaign and what it is actually like so far?

I thought the initial moving process would be much harder. The move to Perth has been relatively easy all things considered.

What do you hope to learn about yourself from all this?

Just that I am capable of doing the things I’ve always dreamed about doing.