She had 'retired' from rowing after winning bronze at the 2003 World Championships, then took it up again socially in England in 2005 before coming back to Australia to take up a Head Coaching position as a Sydney girls' school, but "I found sitting in the speed boat a really frustrating way to be on the water so started doing a bit of paddling. Before I knew it I was spending more time in lycra and training 6 days a week!"
Now aged 31, she intends to continue rowing for a few more years:
Rowing is a sport where you are continually trying to find the perfect stroke and the perfect mental approach - which all takes time and a lot of determination. I guess that's part of the reason some of the great rowing athletes have endured for so many years - it's a sport of patience and perseverance. So, even though I have been around for a while and developed a good base, I still think I have a lot to improve on!
Rowing training is particularly gruelling, with long sessions on the water supplemented by hour-long ergometer rows, heavy gym training and bike rides that extend for hours. Lower lumbar injuries are an extremely common problem for elite rowers, making it difficult to continue doing the traditional lower limb multi-joint extensor exercises such as the squat and deadlift. Having access to equipment that creates maximum tension in glutes and quads without appreciable spinal loading is a huge benefit.
During the second half of 2008 Bronwen had commenced a new career, working as Executive Assistant to Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness Executive Director, Rob Smithies, but the move was short-lived when she was given the opportunity to take up a full-time scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport.
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