Feature: From student to teacher – coach Duncan Free

University sport is something the 2008 Olympic Champion in the men’s pair knows well.  While studying for a degree in Health Science, Free rowed to Olympic bronze in 1996 in the men’s quad.

Free then went on to compete at three more Olympic Games but after an injury put him out of contention for the Australian men’s four at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Free took up the post of Sports College Manager at Griffith University on Australia’s Gold Coast.

At the Universiade, Free is coach and mentor to Australia’s small rowing squad. World Rowing caught up with Free to speak about life in the coaches’ peloton at an international regatta and how he is using his elite athlete knowledge to help others.

World Rowing: How long have you been coaching for?

Duncan Free:  I was coaching while I was rowing, around the period of 2005 to the beginning of 2008 when I ran a schools programme. I left that job to concentrate on Beijing – and it paid off. But it’s funny because all through my career I was saying to myself, ‘I don’t want to coach, why would I want to do that after I finish rowing?’ And yet here I am looking after a group of rowers. Never say you’re never going to do anything!

WR: So, for you it was more of a subconscious natural transition from rower to coach?
DF: Yeah, you know I stopped the sport and I was out of it for many months, just not doing anything and because my career didn’t really end up the way I wanted it to, being ruled out for London with injury, I realised I kind of missed it because it wasn’t how I wanted it to end. So I just started going down to my club at Griffith University Surfers’ Paradise and started out coaching there and put my hand up for this manager/coach position for the team going to Kazan.

WR: How are you finding being a coach, as opposed to an athlete at an international regatta?
DF: It’s hard work! You’ve got to organise transport, find boats, rig boats, paint oars… It’s very easy to just jump in a boat and row it (laughs), but I enjoy it. I enjoy helping these young guys out. They are only 20/21 years old and so I think they are appreciating me sharing my knowledge and experience with them and I’m enjoying it.

WR: Do the rowers you are coaching appreciate what you are passing on to them?

DF: They do appreciate it. I often share some stories with them, whether it be on or off the water and they are interested in what I have to say. I share my experiences, particularly around racing, to try to get the best out of them.

WR: Tell us a little about your new career.

DF: As manager of the Sports College (at Griffith University) my role is to look after all our elite athletes, from Olympic sports to football and anything in between, to make sure that they have the flexibility to travel, etc. We arrange alternative exam sittings, deferrals or extensions on assessments. I look after about 300 students over five campuses.

It’s a very fun job. I started it after I got ruled out in preparation for London so it was good to slide into that role and still be involved with athletes. I understand how they think, they understand how I think and so we have a good relationship.