The unstoppables: Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager

Australia’s Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager have recently been named the 2023 World Rowing Para Crew of the Year after a stunning 2023 season, but they’re now heading full force towards this year’s Paralympic Games in Paris.

You can be forgiven if their names are relatively new to you, 2023 was their first season competing internationally together thanks to the addition of the PR3 mixed double sculls as a Paralympic boat.

And what a year they had. They twice broke the World Best Time – the first time by a full 20 seconds – and then they went on to win at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.

Ayers and Altschwager have known each other since 2017 when they met on an Australian rowing camp, but it wasn’t until the double was announced for Paris 2024 that they truly had the reason to row together.

“As rowers who both qualify for the double, it makes it more fair to compete with athletes with a similar level of impairment,” says Ayers.

Ayers sustained a traumatic knee dislocation while playing rugby (read about it here) and had only just started rowing when she competed at her first World Championships in 2018. She rowed in the PR3 mixed coxed four, finishing fifth at the World Rowing Championships. At the Tokyo Paralympic Games Ayers crew were fourth.

Altschwager came to rowing after a workplace injury that resulted in the loss of his left leg.

“I rehabbed for two years then wanted to see how far I could take it. I looked at rowing as a pathway and it went from there,” says Altschwager.

Altschwager raced in the PR3 men’s pair at the 2018 and 2019 World Rowing Championships finishing with silver both years. With the announcement of the double for Paris, Ayers and Altschwager had other commitments but they kept in touch. For 2023 they were completely committed and the results proved they had made the right decision.

“We were both in a situation to give it everything we could,” says Altschwager.

Ayers says with Altschwager, having a friendship away from rowing made the partnership better on the water.

“Getting to row with a mate every day and enjoy the journey was the biggest deciding factor for me (to row the double),” says Ayers. “I know Jed is always putting in 110% each day as he knows I am too.”

Ayers moved to Adelaide to row with Altschwager and she calls it a game changer.

“This allowed Jed and I to train each day together and build our bond in the boat while supporting and challenging each other to be the best we know we can be. Having the support (of coaches, sport scientists and biomechanics) in our everyday environment guided our success.”

“Both our individual preparation and our commitment to each other helped in this year’s success,” says Altschwager. “Also the support from our coaches and families.”

And their goal for the coming year? The answer for both of them is simple; to win.