Gen Horton is one of Rowing Australia’s most promising prospects. She is an Olympian and has also represented Australia at Junior, U23 and Senior World Championships in the women’s pair. She was involved with testing of the first prototype of Sykes Mould 214 in 2015. See what she had to say:
How many years have you been rowing?
I started rowing at the end of 2009 whilst I was at school, and consequently I haven’t left the house for any non rowing occasion since.
How do you like your coffee?
Take away the actual coffee beans part of it and replace with strawberry sauce, then froth it up and turn it into a delicious milkshake, served with a danish on the side.
If you weren't rowing, what would you be doing?
I would be living the civilian life and traveling around the world, living off an income of playing the tambourine in a band.
Who is your role model and why?
Anybody that can voluntarily throw themselves into the pain cave for a time longer than any coach would dare to prescribe (Sam Loch and Matt Ryan erging for 24 hours straight a few years back).
What things do you not like?
Not going through our biomech data intensely enough after each and every water session. When I see a really yummy gelato messina flavour on instagram and by the time I get there all the hipsters have got into it before me so there's none left.
If you could change one thing about rowing, what would it be?
That they would host a mixed 8 event at nationals, carnage ensues.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
My preferable ergo playlist would be the double cd set of hits for kids 2003, but i keep it under wraps. Nobody else would be able to handle such a fire playlist.
How would Molly Goodman best describe you?
I am a ‘rowing freak’ if I watch a rowing video in our down time, or a ‘nature freak’ because I like wandering around in the bush, or a ‘music freak’ if i listen to a song that hasn’t been played on the radio already 30 times that day, and for pretty much any other area in life!