2014 Parmigiani Spirit Award attracts high calibre nominations

This is the second year of the Parmigiani Spirit Award which has been established to recognise university rowers who have demonstrated the core values of rowing in his/her social, academic and sporting life. This award looks to honour an individual who, through these core values of rowing, have inspired exceptional success in other people’s lives – in education, business, sport or charity.

University rowing clubs that have put nominations forward are far reaching, from Ireland through to Pakistan, Slovenia and South Africa as well as the United States and Great Britain who, as nations, lead the way in university rowing. The nominees are from students studying a variety of degrees including everything from nutrigenomics to law to geology and engineering.

“As in the inaugural year, the standard of the nominations has remained extremely high,” says FISA President Jean-Christophe Rolland. “I know that the judges will have a difficult time to pick the final award winner.”

A shortlist of nominees will be announced later this month. Then a panel of judges will decide the winner in October. The panel  includes New Zealand Olympic Champion single sculler Mahe Drysdale, German World Champion and Olympian Lenka Wech, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Jean-Marc Jacot and FISA President Jean-Christophe Rolland.

The winner of the Award will receive a hand-crafted Parmigiani Fleurier watch and the rowing club of the winner will be presented with a custom-made new Filippi racing eight boat. For rowers in some countries (such as the United States where NCAA regulations apply), the awards will be adjusted to conform with national eligibility regulations.

A video detailing the award can be found here,