Gold on the Gold Coast

What a race from Harriette O'Dwyer, coxing the Mixed Beach Sprint Coxed Quad to gold at the Beach Sprint Nationals on the Gold Coast.

Beach sprint racing leaves no room for hesitation, and this race proved exactly why. Sitting behind at the turn, the crew faced the moment that would decide the entire race. What followed was a phenomenal turnaround around the buoy: tight, decisive, and perfectly executed, which takes serious composure and trust in the crew around you.

That composure came straight from the cox seat. Harriette's leadership and direction through the turn were the difference-makers, staying calm when the pressure was highest, calling the move with total clarity, and giving the crew the belief to commit fully to it. As they came out of the turn, the momentum had completely flipped. From there, Harriette found another gear, called the crew through, and drove them ahead to seal the win.

It was a huge effort from the whole crew to hold their nerve and deliver when it counted, but it was Harriette's composure, trust, and split-second decision-making as cox that turned a chasing position into a gold medal.

Congratulations to Harriette and the whole crew on a brilliant result on the Gold Coast!