Be The Inspiration: Julia Edward and Sophie Mackenzie

Double world rowing champions Julia Edward and Sophie Mackenzie see their relationship on the water like a marriage.

They get strength from supporting each other in the lightweight double scull, through hard times and good. They know what makes each other tick, and are constantly trying to bring out the best of each other’s strengths.

They had a brief “engagement” period – first thrown together as a crew just five weeks before the 2014 world championships in Amsterdam. But they instantly clicked, and came up with a down-to-earth philosophy.  “We had to keep everything simple - not dwell on the small things,” Edward says. 

With that attitude, they produced a stunning gold medal performance to take out their first world title.

They call that world championships their “honeymoon phase”.  But on their first anniversary, after their first full campaign together, they repeated the feat, successfully defending their world crown in France in 2015. 

And after another season working together on and off the water, they are bound for Rio, where Olympic gold is their ultimate goal. “Third time lucky,” they joke.

Strength has played a major role in their success so far.

“You have to have a lot of power to go from stationary to as fast as you can in about 10 strokes,” Mackenzie says. “So by the end of it, your body’s shattered, and you’re sore, but you know you’ve done all you can and you come off the water feeling a lot better for it, physically and mentally.”

They work-out on and off the water to build physical strength. There’s work in the gym – squats and deadlifts, “lots of chin-ups, unfortunately” – to predominantly build up leg and back strength, and a little for their arms.

In one on-the-water exercise, they wrap a hose around the boat, creating a bungy – effectively slowing the boat down, making it harder and heavier to row.

Their experiences on the world stage are building up a mental toughness, too.

“Leading up to the Olympics, it’s really important for Sophie and I to stay in our bubble, and keep together, keep tight, be around positive people. Being completely honest with each other, just so that we are in the right headspace,” Edward says. 

Their tight team consists of a coach, physiologist and physiotherapist.

Both women began rowing at high school – Edward at Rotorua Girls High, and Mackenzie at Marlborough Girls. Edward remembers watching the Evers-Swindell sisters win gold at the 2004 Olympic Games and being inspired to be part of the sport.

“When we were young we looked up to strong female athletes so we want to give back and be an inspiration to young girls out there,” Edward says. “Being on the world stage, we feel that we can do that.”