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Rob has earned plenty of titles. He’s been labelled everything from a sporting icon to a freak, hero to zero, iceberg grinder, but more recently and deservedly, he was named an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for his services to Rowing.
Mostly, Rob is best known as New Zealand’s only Gold Medallist at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. This was the peak of Rob’s long list of firsts in the sport of rowing and single sculling.
In 1995 he burst onto the NZ rowing scene as the youngest person ever to win a single sculls title at the NZ Championships – he did this as a novice sculler.
Just one year later he won 6/7 NZ national titles and then came 7th at the Atlanta Olympics.
The following two years, Rob won the World Single Sculls rowing titles in Germany and Canada breaking records on the water and in indoor rowing. At this time he was also the first recipient to win the Sportsperson of the Year Supreme Halberg Award for 3 consecutive years.
In a less public arena, Rob also completed a Bachelor of Management Studies with Honours during this time. He speaks Japanese and has a black belt in Judo.
Not one to rely on success, Rob faced a fresh challenge in 2001, to trial as a grinder for the then triumphant, but somewhat decimated Team NZ; and the rest is history.
He has been a Key part of 2 Americas cup sailing teams, most recently the nail biting final in Valencia.
Rob would probably attribute his motivation and work ethic, as much to his country upbringing in Piopio where his playground included the steep hills of the family sheep and cattle farm, his selection for the local Roller Mills Rugby team and later a homemade gym in his father’s woolshed.
He is now married to Olympian Sonia Scown and is devoted father to their children.
Rob is a multi-talented New Zealander, sportsman, family-man, entrepreneur and most recently, grinder and crusader for Emirates Team NZ in their quest for the Holy Grail.
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