Athlete Health

Supporting the wellbeing and performance of every rower, our Medical and Physiotherapy teams work together to provide evidence-based care, clear guidance, and high-quality services for elite athletes, pathway rowers, club and school programs, and the broader rowing community.

Here you’ll find key contacts, policies, and educational resources designed to help all rowers stay healthy, informed and ready to perform.

Rowing Australia maintains a nationwide network of Sports Doctors and Physiotherapists experienced in rowing. Athletes, parents, coaches and clubs can access the full provider list via the link below:

Sports Medicine

Our medical team oversees the health, safety and performance of rowers across all levels — from community participation to high-performance environments. We provide medical leadership for the Australian Rowing Team across Senior and Pathway programs, collaborating with physiotherapists, coaches and performance staff to reduce injury risk, manage illness, and optimise training availability.

Medical Policies

These policies support safe participation, health protection and integrity in rowing:

Anti-Doping Policy
Sports Foods, Medical and Nutritional Supplementation Policy
Sleep and Sedative Policy
No Needles Policy
Illicit Drugs in Sport Policy
Medical Management Policy
Event Medical Policies (coming soon)

Medical Exemptions (ME) for Selection Activities

If an athlete cannot complete a selection activity due to injury or illness, an official Medical Exemption process must be followed before the scheduled test/race/activity.

Steps to Apply

Email medicalexemptions@rowingaustralia.com.au and include one of the following:

A completed Rowing Australia Medical Exemption Form (link to form)
A medical letter from a GP, Sports Doctor or Physiotherapist outlining:
- injury/illness,
- estimated return to training,
- when the activity may be completed
A comment indicating the exemption has been logged in AMS (if applicable)

The Principal Medical Officer or Pathways Medical Lead will review the information.

Note: An ME does not replace the requirement to complete the selection activity; it simply allows deferral until medically cleared.

Physiotherapy

Our physiotherapy program provides athlete-centred care to keep rowers training consistently, progressing safely and performing at their best. At both the Hancock Prospecting and Reinhold Batschi National Training Centres, we work closely with coaches and performance staff to minimise time lost to injury and support performance progression. We support Australian Rowing Team athletes through coordinated domestic and international physiotherapy servicing and monitor injury trends and maintain national injury surveillance systems.

We further aim to build and maintain a national network of skilled physiotherapists across NIN and community programs.