Respect and rivalry - Twigg and Zeeman's fierce friendship

With only themselves to rely on when they hit the water to race, single scullers shoulder more pressure than most. And for some they are their nation’s sole representative in rowing.

Given the super-competitive nature of the single sculling field, it might sound surprising that a sculler could be sitting at the start and feel anything but a determination to do whatever it takes to beat the others.  Yet for all the ferocity of their competition, friendships have flourished and a sense of camaraderie has allowed for even better training and racing as New Zealand’s Emma Twigg and Canada’s Carling Zeeman tell World Rowing.

Respect

It all comes down to respect says Twigg, the 2014 World Rowing Champion who will race in the women’s single sculls at her third Olympic Games in Rio. “I would say that we all have a huge amount of respect for each other and that is a great starting point for some very healthy friendships.”

“Throughout my career, the friendliness of the field has become one of the draw cards,” says Twigg. “As the ‘Lone Rangers’ of our teams and, in many cases, the only athletes of a national programme, it is a natural progression to reach out to others in a similar position.”

Zeeman is only just entering this unique world. She placed sixth last year at her first World Rowing Championships appearance in the women’s single sculls and secured an Olympic qualification spot.

“You come in with the sense that you are the new kid on the block,” she says. “Getting to know the top scullers over the past two years has been a mix between overcoming my star-struck mentality and actually getting to know them as individuals. A lot of these girls are – for lack of a better description – just like me, only in a different country and on a different team. You see so many similarities.”

The great eight

An increasingly shrinking world has brought top scullers together as never before. Events like the ‘Great Eight’ at Boston’s Head of the Charles Regatta in the United States have provided a forum for the world’s toughest rivals to row together with a common goal.

It was racing in the 2014 Great Eight where Zeeman began to feel part of something bigger. “I was awestruck,” she recalls. “Everyone knows who the top single scullers are. I got the sense that a lot of them were friends already and thought that was so cool because you are a little bit of a loner and this was almost like a loners club united.”

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Something in common

Such an easy friendship between the top scullers hasn’t always been the case and Twigg has seen some of this change during her time in the single. She believes the ability to speak a common language has made things easier. “I remember my first few times on the dais at World Cups before the Beijing (2008) Olympics,” Twigg recalls, “the conversations in English didn’t flow easily and my language skills are terrible.”

Fortunately for Twigg her competition’s English skills have been getting better and better. “Now we can all have a laugh and at different times have organised training together on different sides of the globe,” she says. “There is a real openness to train together and learn from each other.”

Friendly rivalries

Although not an everyday occurrence, that willingness to train together is being acted upon and elite rowers seem to be taking time out of their regular training routines to engage in joint sessions.

“When you train with someone you develop a respect for the work they’ve put in and can see that they’ve committed to this as much as you have,” says Zeeman, who escaped the northern winter to join Twigg in New Zealand for some training earlier this year.

Zeeman recalls one moment from her visit that really stood out. “There was one race we had where it was Emma, myself and Jeannine (Gmelin) from Switzerland, who was there training with the Swiss team. We were sitting there and I was thinking ‘this could very well be our race in the Olympics’ – that’s pretty cool! To me there is no better preparation.”

Twigg has trained with scullers from around the world and despite her World Champion credentials feels there is always something to be gained. “It has been fantastic,” she says. “It is important to keep learning – challenging the ways that you do things and be open to new ideas. It is also fantastic to be rowing alongside someone who is a similar speed to you. Having someone push you is vital.”

Bringing out the best in each other

When it comes down to racing, none of these top scullers expects anything but a fight. “My approach stays the same with every race,” says Twigg, who wouldn’t have it any other way. “Friends off the water – but it is anyone’s game when the start line approaches.”

“Having a friendship and respect for those that you race makes the regattas more enjoyable,” she concludes. “We all have a similar mindset. It takes a certain individual to be a single sculler.”

“It’s fun,” says Zeeman. “I train with them because I love training with the best. If I want to be the best, then I want to be working with and occasionally beating the best. That’s pretty simple. I do it because I love it.”

Soon Twigg, Zeeman and a host of single scullers will be lining up for their heats in Rio. The racing will be fierce; but, the friendships that have come to define elite women’s sculling will likely emerge stronger than ever.