They work tirelessly to keep athletes physically strong, mentally resilient, and race-ready – while also being some of the most kind, caring, and fun people to have around. Whether it’s on the water, in the gym, or on the physio table, their impact is felt in every session. They are the team behind the team, quietly powering the success of New Zealand rowing.
Doctors:
The High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) medical staff, who are embedded in the Rowing NZ high performance programme, are more than just your average doctors! They are integrated into daily training life – monitoring injuries, managing illness prevention strategies, and helping athletes navigate the fine line between training hard and overtraining. Most days at Rowing New Zealand, there is a Doctor on site, so if there’s ever a niggle or situation that crops up, they are super quick to help out. They work closely with the coaches to make sure medical advice aligns with performance goals and to ensure rowers stay in peak condition while minimising long-term risks.
Dr Katie Snyman is a much-valued member of Rowing New Zealand’s medical team and served as team doctor at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A former elite netballer for Otago, she combines medical expertise with a strong understanding of high-performance sport. After completing her degree at the University of Otago, Katie co-founded and ran a GP clinic in Rotorua before selling it in 2023 to join HPSNZ , first at the velodrome and now with rowing. Her background spans general practice, school and polytechnic clinics, forensic work with police in sexual assault cases, and governance roles at Rotorua’s acute after-hours clinic. Working with athletes has been a more recent focus for Katie, just the past two and a half years, but she has quickly become a trusted and calming presence in the high-performance environment. Known for her expertise, warmth, and trademark smile, Katie is a much-loved part of the team behind the team.
Physiotherapists:
Rowing is repetitive, powerful, and unforgiving on the body. Physiotherapists are on deck every day, assessing movement patterns, managing niggles before they turn into injuries, and guiding rehabilitation when setbacks occur. Their hands-on work and tailored exercise programmes keep the athletes able to succeed in rowing thousands of strokes a week.
Craig Newlands is a HPSNZ practitioner and works with Rowing New Zealand as a core member of the health team, supporting athletes through countless training blocks, international regattas, as well as three Olympic Games—London 2012, Rio 2016, and Paris 2024. With a background in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, a Master’s in Health Science, and a postgraduate diploma in sports medicine, Craig combines deep clinical knowledge with years of hands-on experience. His Master’s research focused on low back pain in elite rowers, an area he continues to lead in. Known for his calm, thoughtful approach and trusted by athletes and coaches alike, Craig brings both expertise and genuine care to every appointment.
Seah Taylor (front row, first from left) with the team before heading to the Tokyo Olympics.
Massage Therapists:
Between weeks of hard training sessions, massage therapists play a critical role in keeping athletes’ bodies running as smoothly as possible by reducing muscle tension and speeding up recovery. For rowers preparing for world-class regattas, regular massage isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity that allows them to back up hard sessions day after day.
It’s also a great chance for the athletes to unwind and chill out for a moment – although an elbow into the glute sometimes isn’t too relaxing! Many athletes would say that the highlight of their rowing week is the weekly massage with their massage therapist.
One of these therapists is the much-loved Seah Taylor. Seah has been supporting athletes at Rowing New Zealand for over 18 years and is a familiar and trusted face in the team. She has worked with Emma Twigg weekly since Emma’s early 20s, playing a key role in her journey through every phase of her rowing career, just as she has for many others.
Seah is exceptional at what she does. She understands the unique physical demands of rowing and tailors her approach to suit each athlete’s individual needs. Beyond her technical skill, she’s also known for her warmth, good humour, and the great chats you’ll have while on the table. Caring, fun-loving, and deeply experienced – Seah is truly one of a kind.
Sport Psychologists:
Physical strength is only half the battle in rowing. The sport’s mental demands—managing nerves, staying focused under pressure, and bouncing back from setbacks—are huge. Sport psychologists work closely with athletes to varying capacities, but can include developing strategies for confidence, composure, and team cohesion.
Brent Membery, a distinguished clinical and performance psychologist, is returning to HPSNZ , where he will focus on supporting Rowing NZ elite athletes. His expertise lies in helping individuals unlock their full potential, based on his fundamental belief that humans possess vast untapped capabilities that can be accessed through proper training and mindset development.
As a seasoned practitioner, Brent brings extensive experience working with elite athletes and organisations, including previous roles with Rowing New Zealand, the NZ Olympic Team, Chiefs Rugby, and New Zealand Boxing. He recently served as the team psychologist for the Australian Men’s Cricket Team and held the position of lead advisor for mental health and wellbeing during the 2022 Winter Olympics.
His approach emphasises performance psychology across all aspects of life, recognising that individuals perform continuously whether in professional settings, athletic pursuits, or personal endeavours. Through various psychological modalities, he helps people develop the courage and curiosity needed to optimise their performance potential.
Brent’s deep understanding of high-performance environments is complemented by his own extensive sporting background, having competed at competitive levels in rugby, cricket, and golf. He currently maintains his own athletic pursuits through snowboarding and boxing. His return to Rowing NZ/HPSNZ represents a significant addition to New Zealand’s high-performance sport ecosystem, where he will contribute his expertise beginning in October.
There are many more dedicated individuals behind the scenes of each of these teams whose expertise and hard work make a real difference every day. While we haven’t highlighted everyone individually, we want to acknowledge and thank all the incredible members of the HPSNZ Health team at Rowing New Zealand who keep our athletes strong, healthy, and ready to perform.
Doctors:
- Katie Synman
- Deborah Robinson
Sport Psychologists:
- Brent Membery (starting October)
- John Sullivan
Massage Therapists:
- Seah Taylor
- Caren Coombes
Physiotherapists:
- Craig Newlands
- Rone Thompson
- Tim Devlin (starting October)
Nurse:
- Nic Moon
Performance Health Operations Support:
- Yolande van der Schyff
- Abi Chapman
What’s your favourite thing about being a High Performance Sport New Zealand practitioner and working with Rowing New Zealand?
Seah Taylor: Probably the most enjoyable part for me is the people – the athletes, staff, and colleagues I’m fortunate to work alongside. I truly enjoy being part of the wider Performance Health Team and witnessing athletes as they strive toward achieving their goals.
There’s also so much change and variation each year, which keeps things fresh, challenging, and constantly engaging.
Craig Newlands: The people. The athletes, coaches, and support staff are all so driven and passionate about what they do, and it’s inspiring to be part of that environment. Everyone’s working towards the same goal, and there’s a real sense of teamwork in pushing to achieve results on the world stage
Katie Snyman: I love being part of the Rowing NZ team. It is a privilege to work both with the talented elite athletes but also within the multi-disciplinary team at Rowing NZ. It’s exciting to learn and collaborate with all the team members, with the shared goal of improving performance and helping athletes succeed!
Brent Membery: For me, any sporting/organisational environment is a reflection of the people and leaders within. At Rowing NZ this is something I value as there is a real emphasis on looking after the people and the legacy/culture it wants to honour, value and leave behind. There is a great passion, emphasis on teamwork and dedication towards the same goals within, from staff, athletes and coaches.
Having worked with so many athletes over the years, what qualities or habits do you think present themselves in the most successful rowers?
Seah Taylor: They are incredibly humble and driven, yet remain down-to-earth, everyday people – a combination that creates a truly positive and empowering work environment.
Not only do they dedicate themselves fully to the world of rowing, but they also bring that same work ethic to all areas of their lives
Craig Newlands: The most successful rowers I’ve worked with have a few things in common: they’re incredibly consistent in their training, they listen and take on feedback, and they’re adaptable when things don’t go to plan. They have a strong work ethic, but also recognise the importance of recovery and self-care. Above all, they’re resilient; they can stay focused and keep moving forward even when it gets tough.
Katie Synman: I’m really impressed by the dedication and resilience of the elite rowers. It is amazing to watch them grow and succeed. I think that resilience is a crucial attribute for a successful rower. In addition, the athletes have a lot of support and expertise around them and those who are open to learn and making the most of their opportunities are most likely to be successful. And probably most important to succeed in rowing is hard work!
Brent Membery: The most successful athletes I have been privileged to work with in regard to ‘performance’ have prioritised and balanced their craft, themselves and what’s important to them outside of their sport. They have focused on and committed to their inner values across all contexts they interact within. They have displayed a high work ethic and utilised their support network well. Other qualities and habits I have commonly observed have included: being courageous when challenged and trying new and difficult tasks, being curious about themselves, their teammates and their support network, being emotionally/cognitively flexible, and being consistent with everything they do.
What sets the High Performance Sport New Zealand health team at Rowing NZ apart is the seamless way they collaborate. Although from each different sub-team each individual collaborates and communicates constantly between teams to ensure an integrated approach. A physiotherapist might identify a concern and loop in a doctor, who then consults with a psychologist about the athlete’s stress levels, while massage therapists can aid recovery and tension. This holistic, athlete-centred approach ensures every rower has the best possible support to perform at their peak and get through the big weeks of training.
While the health team may rarely make headlines, their impact is felt by the athletes every day—at every training session, and in every race. They are the invisible edge, quietly turning setbacks into comebacks and doing everything they can to keep the squad healthy and on the water.
Rowing is a sport of fine margins, and often the difference between standing on the podium or watching from the sidelines comes down to the care, expertise, and attention to detail provided by these dedicated professionals. In every sense, they are the team behind the team – an essential force powering New Zealand’s world-class rowing success.
A huge thank you to the High Performance Sport New Zealand health team at Rowing NZ for being such a hardworking, talented, and endlessly supportive crew. It couldn’t be done without you.
