Powering Rowing’s breakout Men’s Pair

“At its core, it’s about being aligned,” Mike explains. Weekly meetings bring athletes, coaches and Athlete Performance Support (APS) staff together, ensuring clarity across the programme. “Multiple voices in, but one voice out,” says Mike

That “tight team” includes physiologist Damian Wiseman, performance nutritionist Lucy Trollope and performance psychologist Brent Membery, alongside S&C, PTA, biomechanics and medical support.

Around them, Rowing NZ’s APS Lead Justin Evans ensures the system functions as one.

“It’s about linking coaches and providers so we’re delivering world-class support,” Justin says. “There’s a team approach where everyone contributes.

Turning data into performance

For Damian, one of the most embedded members of the group, the role starts with data and finishes with understanding.

Rowers generate large volumes of performance information through in-boat instrumentation, heart rate monitoring and wearable tech. But numbers alone don’t tell the full story.

“It’s about putting context around the data,” Damian says, combining what he observes on the water with what the metrics reveal to better understand how the athletes are responding to training.

That insight feeds directly into conversations with Mike, shaping decisions around intensity, progression and recovery. Feedback can be almost immediate, allowing adjustments to be made quickly and ensuring the programme remains responsive.

Just as importantly, that information is shared.

“There’s a lot of collaboration,” Damian explains. Data becomes a point of connection across the team, influencing nutrition, training design and broader discussions about athlete progress.

Staying themselves under pressure

From a Performance Psychology perspective, Brent says success at this level isn’t about adding something new leading into pinnacle events, it’s about reinforcing what already works.

“The key focus is supporting the athletes to stay themselves when the pressure starts to rise,” he says.

For Ben and Oliver, that ability is particularly valuable. As a new crew in 2025, they delivered immediate success on the world stage, something few combinations achieve so quickly.

Brent points to the strength of their partnership as central to that performance. Their personalities complement each other, creating consistency and resilience. “They really align in how they go about their work,” he says.

Rather than being distracted by external expectations, the pair focus on the controllables — their processes, their preparation and their connection as a crew. “When the pressure rises, that’s where they draw confidence, from what they know they do well,” Brent adds.

This year for the first time, a Performance Psychologist will travel with the team for the World Cups and World Championships, an opportunity for Brent and the team, supported by a HPSNZ Prime Minister’s Support Team Scholarship.

Fuel as a performance tool

Behind every session sits an extraordinary nutritional demand.

“Athletes like Ben and Oliver have high muscle mass, long training hours and huge energy expenditure,” says Lucy.

“Fuelling is another key component of their training.”

On heavy training days, intake can exceed 8,000 calories, a level that requires careful planning and constant attention.

A typical day might start before sunrise with a substantial breakfast of six Weet-Bix, full milk, juice and fruit, before a session fuelled by high-carbohydrate drinks. After training, athletes refuel again, perhaps with a smoothie packed with oats, milk, peanut butter, honey and berries.

The day continues with multiple meals and snacks: rice and chicken for lunch, cereals and chocolate milk before another session, and large evening meals, often double portions, followed by additional snacks like yoghurt, fruit or ice cream.

“It’s not just eating more, it’s about eating consistently across the day,” Lucy explains. Liquids are often used to help meet the volume required, allowing athletes to refuel quickly between sessions.

As the team prepares for World Cups in Spain and Bulgaria, nutrition becomes even more critical. Heat, travel and training load all add complexity.

“The big focus is keeping them illness-free and well-fuelled,” she says, with hydration and immune health key priorities in warmer conditions and long-haul travel.

The result of this integrated approach is a programme where every detail connects, from physiology data to nutrition, psychological preparation and more.

As Ben and Oliver head to Spain and Bulgaria for the opening World Cups before targeting the 2026 World Championships in the Netherlands, they do so supported by a system designed for collective success.

It’s a system built on trust, collaboration and alignment, allowing the athletes to focus on performing when it matters most.

For Mike, that’s what makes the difference.

“When everyone is aligned,” he says, “the athletes can focus on what they do best.”