Electric Ireland took some time to catch up with rowing champion, Molly Curry as she sheds light on her sporting journey. Molly, who is just 17 years old, was selected to represent Ireland in a double scull at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Tokyo and then progressed to qualify for the A Final which was “an achievement and experience [she] couldn’t have dreamed of just a few years ago.”
Her proudest achievement however, was winning the UK National Schools Regatta in London in the single scull. The icing on the cake for Molly was when she was informed that she had broken the Girls U18 Championship Record time by 6 seconds. Molly speaks about her rowing journey and her plans for 2020.
Where it all began for Molly
From a very young age Molly had always wanted to row. She saw many Olympians come out of her hometown, Coleraine, which made her want to give it a go.
“I was an Irish national level swimmer so I wasn’t sure if being a member of the local rowing club would allow me to keep swimming competitively while also rowing. My opportunity came when the girls’ school I attended merged with a boys’ school that offered rowing.”
“I started rowing at Coleraine Grammar School Rowing Club. To be on the River Bann rowing is such a nice experience and certainly one of the reasons I enjoy rowing but another reason is that I’ve made so many good friends as part of the sport. From the Causeway Coast to Cork and from Limerick to London, the support and friendships I’ve made has made the experience very rewarding. Most of my best friends in school are rowers and while rowing in the Irish Team I’ve been lucky to have had great teammates.”
Maintaining motivation
Molly’s training is extremely strenuous with many hours spent on the indoor rowing machine, pushing herself to the limit. As she is highly self-motivated, Molly likes to see how much she can improve her strength, fitness and speed.
“To maintain focus I try not to think too far into the future but to set myself small gains over a short term. My motivation is helped by wanting to win races and be the first over the line.”
Preparation before a race is also key for Molly, with top tips such as eating well in advance, staying hydrated throughout the day and getting a good warm up.
“Whilst training as a competitive swimmer, my coaches at Swim Ulster put a huge emphasis on warm up and cool down routines so I also like to continue these habits while rowing.”
“I like to row to the start of the race in plenty of time. I would rather wait 20-30 minutes even if it’s in the heat, or more likely the cold and rain, than arrive at the last minute. The wait allows me to focus my mind on the race.”
Local inspiration
Molly was surrounded by inspiration while growing up in Coleraine, with many inspirational rowers like Alan Campbell, Richard and Peter Chambers and Richard Archibald all being Olympians. However, the current women’s Single Sculls World Champion is Sanita Puspure from Ireland who has had a significant impact on Molly.
“Sanita was guest of honour at our Coleraine Grammar School Rowing Club dinner 2 years ago where she spoke about her rowing journey. She was an inspiration to listen to and was very encouraging to us juniors.”
“The best advice she gave me was to listen to my body and to know when you are doing too much. In a demanding sport like rowing where athletes are constantly putting their bodies under stress, it can easily be forgotten that rest is a part of training.”
Molly’s own advice
Molly emphasises how important it is to get involved with sport and how the benefits can have a mental impact as well as physical.
“I would advise everyone to get involved in sport and to remember that, quite often the more effort they put in, the more rewarding they will find it. Sports clubs are always looking for new members and especially enthusiastic ones that enjoy the sport.”
“As well as it being physically good for you, sport is also proven to be good for your mental health. In the case of rowing, when I’m concentrating, I have no time to think about any other stresses such as studies.”
Plans for 2020
“My goals for this year are to get selected for the Junior World Rowing Championships in Slovenia and to make the A final again, but to hopefully win a medal this time. Defending and retaining my title at UK National Schools over at Eton Dorney, London would be nice too.”
However, with Molly still focusing on her studies, her main goal is to do well in her A level exams as her “professional and sporting career will ultimately be affected by these exam results.”