🏆 HBHS Student Athlete of the Week 🚣♂️
This week, just in time for Summer Tournament Week, we profile Year 13 rower, William Milne.
What teams or squads have you represented in the past year?
I have rowed in the HBHS Under 18 Eight in 2022 and was selected in the North Island Under 18 Men's Eight and Four. This year I have been involved in the HBHS Under 18 Eight and Four crews.
What is your top achievement in your chosen area?
I was pretty proud to break the school 2km erg record with a time of 6:05.4 minutes as an Under 17 rower.
What is your favourite moment representing Hamilton Boys’ High School?
Winning the MAADI Cup as an Under 16 rower last season.
How long have you been competing in your sport?
I started rowing in Year 10, competing in three MAADI Regattas so far.
What made you take up the sport?
My Mum was friends with my rowing coach, Bruce Holden, and told me to give it a go. I went to my first session and I was hooked.
What do you think is the most challenging part of the sport?
Staying consistent with training and keeping motivated with the early mornings throughout the season. It can be a bit of a grind, but the hard work is always worth it at the end of the season.
What is the most rewarding part of the sport for you?
Crossing the finish-line first and seeing all the hard work my crew and I have put in paying off.
What are you most looking forward to in your sport this year?
I am looking forward to racing for the MAADI Cup again next week and then one of my goals is to hopefully get a trial for the New Zealand Under 19 crew.
What is your advice to young students looking to excel in your sport?
Stay mentally tough during the off-season to stay on top of your game. You can never work too hard, you should always think there is someone out there working harder than you and use that as fuel.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I would love to go through an American University on a Rowing Scholarship before coming back to New Zealand with the aim of working my way into the Elite Men’s Rowing Programme and working towards the Olympics.