Hanna Inntjore (NOR)

October 2015

World Rowing talked with University Rower in Focus, Norwegian rower Hanna Inntjore, from Durham University in Great Britain where she is undertaking her studies. Inntjore raced for Norway at this year’s World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, finishing fifth in the women’s pairs (with partner Anna Sture). Inntjore shared her thoughts about balancing academics and training to race both for Durham University and Norway’s under-23 team.

 World Rowing: How did you first get involved in rowing?
Hanna Inntjore: My dad was a junior coach at the local rowing club and spent a lot of time down at the club. I came to meet him there one day and he suggested I try a single just for fun as he was doing a learn to row session. I thought it was very scary, but made some great friends who kept me involved until I started training more seriously when I was 15 or 16. 

WR: Where and what are you studying?
HI: I’m currently studying natural science at Durham University. Most of my modules are in chemistry, but I also do some sport science modules on the side. 

WR: Did rowing influence your choice of university to attend?
HI: It was actually one of my first pair partners that made me choose Durham. She wanted to get out of Norway and chose Durham because of the depth and size of the squad. She then recommended it to me and I started a year after her. 

WR: How is rowing different in Great Britain than Norway?
HI: Everyone in Great Britain knows something about rowing. It is everywhere. If there is a river or a big lake there is going to be a rowing club connected to it. In Norway no one knows about rowing and you will spend ages trying to explain that it’s not the same as canoeing to people. 

WR: What is training like? What has been / is your big focus this year?
HI: We have sessions twice a day almost every day which includes water work, erging, weights and sometimes running. It can be hard during term time, but never impossible. Personally my big focus for the season was the under-23 world champs in the women’s pair. But the Norwegian federation has mentioned a possibility for us to compete at the Olympic qualification regatta as well, which would be an amazing experience.

WR: What is your favourite event to row / race?
HI: Women’s Head of the River (in Great Britain) would be one of my favorite races simply because the size of it shocks me every time. I also prefer longer distances.  

WR: What goes through your head as you line up for a race?
HI: I always visualise the start going off in my head and seeing the people holding the boats disappear. This helps me relax and get into a good mindset before the start goes.  

WR: How do find balancing rowing and studying?
HI: To be honest I still don’t know if I’ve found the perfect balance yet! It can be hard during some intense training periods or when there are loads of deadlines. But I’ve found that accepting that you can’t do everything has helped me. If I’ve got loads of deadlines, I will try and cut down on training and if there is a big race coming up I will spend less time in the library.   

WR: What are your long term aspirations?
HI: My long term aspiration is to become and Olympian and hopefully win a World Championship medal someday. It would be nice to be a full-time rower, but it’s hard as the national team in Norway is not as well funded or large in size as other national teams. 

WR: Do you have other hobbies?
HI: I’ve always enjoyed dancing and did it for 12 years when I was younger. I’ve not done it in a couple of years but I’ve got plans to take it up again this year, if only for a session once a week. I also spend a lot of time outdoors and will got for cycle rides and running with housemates if we have an easy week of training. 

WR: To whom do you look for inspiration?
HI: The Norwegian lightweight men’s double has been, and still are, a huge inspiration for me. They’ve been together for so many years just slowly going from the top of the C-final to the top of the B-final and now they’ve not been out of the podium since the London Olympics. They’ve shown me that hard work and dedication will get you results in the end.