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Physiotherapist and New Zealand representative rower

Rowing New Zealand named its selection for this years' women's rowing 8 summer training squad in September 2018.

Hours of training in all weathers, and late nights at the gym had been worthwhile and Otago educated physiotherapist Kelsi Parker delighted in seeing her name on that select list ... again.

physio_kelsi parker casual portrait 2018

But on some weekdays you'll still find Kelsi working with a patient in the Clinic in Cambridge on New Zealand's North Island.

Just one year out from graduation from the School of Physiotherapy, Kelsi is proud of what she has achieved in her chosen sport, and in her career to this point.

Success in elite sport calls for intense training, careful preparation, constant refinement of method and technique, and close attention to the dynamics of body and mind. It also demands a tenacious desire to be very good indeed.

Kelsi finds that the science and art of physiotherapy shares many of the same key ingredients for success.

Preparation meets opportunity

Kelsi met a series of powerful and inspiring people while at school in Whakatane. She recalls spending time with New Zealand Women's K-1 champion Lisa Carrington, and Olympic cyclist and fellow physio Karen Hanlen.

She had planned to follow in her Mum's footsteps and find a university scholarship offshore. It might have been a scholarship in top-level swimming or representative netball. Had it not been for a tumble from her horse, Kelsi may now be competing as an equestrian.

While being competitive is part of Kelsi's DNA, her experience proves that opportunities arrive when an athlete is mentally prepared and in peak physical condition.

Efforts bring success

Kelsi came to Otago looking to study in a city quite outside of her comfort zone.

First year Health Science went by in a flash and for balance she joined friends and flatmates from Selwyn and Knox Colleges on active adventures all over the South Island.

Kelsi's introduction to rowing came at an early morning training session with the Otago Rowing Club on a choppy and brisk Otago Harbour, and then came team trips to the flatwater training facility at Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel.

She finished the first three years of her degree full time whilst in Dunedin then divided her 4th-year physiotherapy studies over two further years while training and competing with the rowing regional performance team in the Waikato.

While Kelsi found that balancing work with training could be a challenge at times, friends made along the way, and the stimulating prospect of travelling overseas for competition helped with motivation and focus.

She learned that rowing to win allowed almost no leeway for error, and that better technique meant faster travel down any set course.

Kelsi entered her first competitive race in 2013 when a friend got her involved in the Otago University Rowing Club's novice rowing programme.

Then came the defining instant when preparation met with opportunity.

A friend challenged Kelsi to train for six weeks with fifteen other athletes before the New Zealand University rowing championships in April 2013.

Her team came home with huge smiles and four Gold medals.

What it takes to win

In March 2018 Kelsi was selected to represent New Zealand in rowing at the elite level.

As part of New Zealand's Elite Women's 8 crew, Kelsi knows that for eleven months of each year, rowing must be her prime focus. She spends twenty hours every week on the water and a further thirty-five hours with coaches and support staff at Rowing New Zealand's High-Performance Centre at Lake Karapiro.

A summary of the New Zealand Women's 8 rowing European season 2018

Linz, Austria June 2018

Kelsi's first trip overseas in June 2018 for training and competition took her to the dedicated regatta course at Linz - Ottensheim on an arm of the river Danube in Austria.

Even though she was carrying a rib injury which affected her individual preparation before leaving New Zealand, her crew finished well in the big event, losing to the Netherlands by 1.78 seconds, yet beating the Australians to take silver.

The crew were happy (enough) with second place knowing that every appearance helps to showcase the strength of New Zealand rowing on the world stage.

Lucerne, Switzerland July 2018

The crew trained for the Swiss phase of the mission in Munich, Germany.

At the ill-starred 1972 Olympics held in that city, the New Zealand Men's team had won Gold on the same training course, so the atmosphere held an extra charge for the team.

This event presented the last chance to test crews and equipment in the lead up to the World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria in September.

Spirits and expectations were high when the crew arrived at Rotsee near Lucerne - perhaps the most beautiful rowing course on the international circuit. Expert support from high-performance staff gave the crew a lot of confidence.

In the big race the Kiwis were quick out of the gate, and powered on under the orders of the coxswain, Canterbury's Sam 'The Man' Bosworth to take Gold, winning by about half a boat length from Canada with the USA a few milliseconds behind.

Alternative text
Winning Gold at World Rowing Cup III, Lucerne Switzerland. Standing from Left: Ella Greenslade, Lucy Spoors, Beth Ross, Kelsey Bevan. Kneeling from Left: Kelsi Parker, Kelsi Walters, Emma Dyke, Jackie Gowler, Sam Bosworth (cox)

Plovdiv, Bulgaria September 2018

This purpose-built artificial venue in the Balkans is carefully designed to offer even rowing conditions to all competitors.

On what one news source accurately described as a 'mixed day for New Zealand' the crew found that an average start, tricky wind conditions and 'the mental game' meant a poor result in the qualifying heat.

They just missed qualifying for the A-final by 0.1s - stark proof of the narrow margins at work in high-performance sport.

In the B-final they posted the second fastest time of the entire regatta to beat a strong Chinese crew but it was not enough to carry them into the finals.

The ultimate goal is to qualify for the women's eight for the Olympics in 2020, at the World Rowing Championships in 2019.

Where from here?

Proud Otago alumna Kelsi Parker intends to keep rowing for some years to come, working to balance her career as a physiotherapist with the demands of elite sports.

While Kelsi knows that her sporting career won't last forever, she tells us of the pride she feels about her ability to navigate and thrive in both pursuits.

All being well, she hopes to join her team in triumph at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and Paris Olympics in 2024.

From here on, close attention to technique will eclipse brute strength, and time out on the water which builds injury resistance will help lower the risk and impacts of injury and physical insult.

As long as Kelsi Parker feels capable of making selection, and enjoys the very real thrill of winning, she will keep training hard, and competing even harder.


Kelsi Parker graduated from University of Otago's School of Physiotherapy in 2017 with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPhty).

Useful links

Find out more about the Bachelors in Physiotherapy (BPhty) programme at Otago here: https://bit.ly/2POpnTL

Read more about life after high level sport: https://bit.ly/2QEDzj5

Publications

Lawrence, R. (2005). Branding terroir in the ′New World′: Modes of representation in the wine industry. In P. Sorrell, C. Ozcan, E. Kocabiyik & Z. T. Ultav (Eds.), Proceedings of the IST Product and Service Design Symposium and Exhibition on Agricultural Industries. Izmir, Turkey: Izmir University of Economics. [Full Paper]

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