South African U23 rowing head coach Thato Mokoena and athlete Courtney Westley will be flying Mzansi’s flag high at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 19 to 23 July.
In July, Courtney Westley will represent South Africa at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Picture: Bruce Viaene.
JOHANNESBURG – South African U23 rowing head coach Thato Mokoena and athlete Courtney Westley are readying their oars ahead of the World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 19 to 23 July.
The championships are considered the top event for the U23s, attracting 1,000 rowers from around the world. Westley will compete in the women’s single scull boat class (BW1X), which is a rowing boat designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand.
“My focus will always be to do the best that I can, and the same will apply on race day. If on race day, I know that I put all my cards on the table, then that’s something I can be proud of and by representing my country, I hope to bring great pride to SA while aiming to grow our women’s team,” said Westley to Eyewitness News.
The World Rowing U23 Championships return to Plovdiv in Bulgaria for the first time since 2017 and will see 22 boat classes competing, including eight lightweight boat classes.
“The highlight of my career would definitely be making the A final for the W2X at the 2022 U23 World Championships in Varese, Italy despite having a tough season dealing with injury. I believe that in spite of all the chaos, we still managed to pull through to make a final, which is something I can take a lot from,” said Westley.
Rowing is a physically demanding sport that requires extreme endurance and strength. Good technical skills, grip, good posture, blade control, timing, balance, rhythm and efficiency, and power application ensure rowers perform the skills with greater competence and confidence but also a considerable amount of mental strength.
FILE: South African U23 rowing head coach Thato Mokoena. Picture: Bruce Viaene.
Mokoena told _Eyewitness News _that mental health was at the forefront of all conversations currently.
“We are lucky we have a psychologist in our team. I’ve learnt a lot from her. It’s difficult to find the balance of mental health, a balance which I believe is sometimes out of a coach’s control. Sports is fun, but at the highest levels can bring out our deepest fears and insecurities.”
The coach, who was once an athlete, said that one of the ways to help athletes reach or even surpass their goals was by creating a safe space and teaching them that there was more to them than a competition.
“Then they will always feel safe enough to push their limits and reset those limits all the time. Then, finally, in competition, helping them understand that the result isn’t something in our lives we are destined to do. It would be nice to add to your CV, but it doesn’t define the athlete.”
But that’s not all! We have some outstanding talent on our team, and I am extremely proud to share that Courtney Westley, a remarkable athlete from the University of Pretoria, has been selected to compete in the BW1X category! ????????♀️ pic.twitter.com/qgJhochYnZ
‘ RowSA (@RowingRSA) May 22, 2023
Westley, an athlete from St Andrew’s School for Girls and the University of Pretoria, said that this moment and the other successes in her rowing career stood out for her.
“They’re all moments, made up of only a few minutes, that allow me to display all the hours of hard training done behind the scenes that nobody else other than the team really gets to see. They all stand out to me as moments to be proud of or learn from that I can use to build confidence.”
On the influence of SA rowing globally, Mokoena said: “I think we bring an element of hope to the sport, that rowing can survive globally and that people like us who have mountains to climb can still passionately participate in the sport.”
Huge congratulations to Courtney Westley in grade 12 for winning School Sports Athlete of the Year at the Ekurhuleni Women in Sports Awards. Courtney was nominated after winning the scull race at South African Rowing Cjampionships earlier this year. We are so proud of you. pic.twitter.com/hKJYE0aBkj
‘ St Andrew’s School (@StAndrewsZA) September 26, 2020
Old Girls, Courtney Westley and Emily Pollock, were selected for the Women’s A Crew for the University Boat Race at Kowie River. They were permitted to show off their previous schools’ colours on the water today, and we couldn’t be prouder????❌????#girlpower2021 #OldGirls pic.twitter.com/CScwOzpsnf
‘ St Andrew’s School (@StAndrewsZA) September 23, 2021
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