NSW Australian Athletes - Terrence Alfred

Week five: Terrence Alfred

Those fortunate enough to have embarked on a National Team campaign know that things do not always function smoothly all the time, especially when the workload increases. However for the Under 23 men’s eight, a group of mostly Sydney University athletes and friends, there was one big set back in store for them. Only a few weeks into the campaign, one of the athletes contracted Glandular Fever, and for the coach Phil Bourguignon it was the second year in a row. This week I spoke to Terrence Alfred, currently the stroke of the men’s under 23 eight, as he spoke about dealing with illness in the crew, the joys of rowing with some of your best friends and club mates, and juggling university aspirations as well as sporting excellence.

www.melbastudios.com.au (Terrence is the stroke)

How has this season been for you compared to others?

This season has been by far my most successful season. In previous seasons I have always done fairly well in regattas like the state and national championships, however I was never able to go well at selection. Finally, this year everything fell into place. My pair partner, Mitch Estens, and I were able to be successful throughout the whole season, winning numerous state and national titles. Then we were able to step it up to another level in order to be competitive at the selection regatta, and gain a seat in the Under 23 men’s eight.

Are you still studying whilst training for the Worlds, or have you stopped?

Yes, currently in my final year of a commerce degree

You were selected in the Under 23 men’s eight. What seat are you currently in? Has this changed?

Currently in Stroke Seat. I did spend a bit of time in 6 and 4 seats trying out new combinations, but I think this is the combination now

How is this eight different from other crew boats that you have competed in?

The goal is just so much bigger and more prestigious than any other event I have raced in. Furthermore, in domestic events, you often know whom you’re racing against and how well they have done in previous races. At the world championships, no one has seen any of the crews race before. It is all unknown.

www.melbastudios.com.au (Terrence is the stroke)

What is your program like? Is this different to before selection?

Fortunately Phil wrote our programme over the last season. The programme he has written for the 8 closely resembles what we did prior to selection. Only with a lot more volume!

Almost the entire crew is from Sydney University, how has this impacted the campaign and have the dynamics changed post selection?

It made the transition from training at a club level, to training at a national level very easy. The majority of the crew were friends before hand, and many of us had met the Victorian’s on previous occasions. Crew dynamics were excellent. It was almost like rowing in a “club eight” where everyone felt comfortable with each other, and were not afraid to speak their feelings. As training increases, crew members do start to get frustrated with each other, making it important to stay positive, and focused on the goal.

Mitchell Estens was diagnosed with Glandular Fever and has had to pull out, what was that like for the rest of the crew?

It was quite a shock to the crew initially, however Phil’s professionalism kept us all positive and we have been able to find a replacement/reserve with little disruption to training.

www.melbastudios.com.au (Terrence is the stroke)

What was the selection process for the replacement/reserve?

Each of the athletes trying out for the 8 had to complete a 2000m erg test, and then had to seat race against each other in various 4- and 8+ combinations that involved the 7 members left in the 8.

What are the chances of him recovering in time to compete?

Mitch has slowly started training again, and is looking good to compete at the world championships. However it is unsure if he will compete in the 8, or in the single.

One of the biggest differences with a national crew is having a set combination, and an experienced coxswain. Last week we saw training from the coxswain’s perspective, how do you find Toby as a coxswain?

I really enjoy having Toby as a coxswain, and this is important as I am currently the stroke and I see a lot of him. Toby and I have been friends since school and see eye to eye on most things. What I find best about him is his attitude to the “campaign”, his eagerness to win, and as a result, his eagerness to always improve his coxing in order to make the boat go faster

Phil is a relatively new coach (though a successful one), how is he handling 9 young men?

We all have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day we all get along with each other really well. Phil knows when to have fun, and also when to draw the line and distinguish that coach-athlete relationship.

What are you most excited about?

Racing in the final of the world championships

What are you most worried about?

Looking back on the training done in the lead up to the world championships and thinking “I wish we had trained harder”, or “I wish we had done this better”; No regrets.

What are your short-term goals?

To finish my commerce degree, and to medal at the world championships

www.melbastudios.com.au (Terrence is the stroke)

What are your long-term goals?

To study medicine, and to row at an Olympic games.

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

I hope to challenge myself physically and mentally, and learn how to push my body to whole new levels.

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?

Although we have a lot of good time together, I didn’t realise how hard the training would actually be. No one in the crew has ever trained this hard before, and we all feel very tired, most of the time. In the middle of those big weeks, it becomes harder to feel that same drive and motivation we had when we first were announced in the crew. Fortunately this is the first Under 23 team for me, and the others in the crew, and the motivation of racing for Australia and wearing ‘green and gold’ is far from gone.

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