Ged Wall. Photo supplied.Ashburton rowers Ged and Isabel Wall have finished the season on a high.Although the rowing season has come to an abrupt and premature end, the Ashburton College pupils should feel pleased with how the season panned out regardless.

Isabel (13) clinched a gold medal in the open para double sculls at the New Zealand Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro, Cambridge last month.

Meanwhile older brother Ged (16) finished fourth in the A Final Men’s club double skulls, followed by second place finishes in the B Final Men’s Club Coxless Quad Skulls and Club Single Skulls.

“My expectations were probably lower than what I actually did,” Ged said.

Isabel echoed these sentiments as she approached the national regatta with a low-key approach.

“I wasn’t expecting much, but I’m glad I got a medal.”

She did admit that the nerves kicked in prior to racing, which was nothing unusual for her.

“But when I did it I was relieved and realise there wasn’t much to be nervous about.”

Ged backed up his national regatta efforts with a second place in the Boys’ Under-17 Single Skulls A Final and a fourth place in the Under-18 singles, rowing for AshColl at the South Island Secondary School Rowing Championships in Twizel a fortnight ago.

The pair were set to compete in next month’s Maadi Cup in what would have been their season finale, however the event was ultimately called off due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Although the brother and sister combination preferred to do their own thing as rowers, Ged remained generous in providing pointers for his younger sister

“She just tells me to go away,” he laughed.

Isabel Wall. Photo supplied.Both will be ones to watch once the rowing season (hopefully) reconvenes later in the year.

By Adam Burns © The Ashburton Guardian - 27 March 2020