Rowing Australia and Rowing NSW to host Oceania Youth Athlete Development Camp & Competition for Beach Sprints

Rowing Australia and Rowing New South Wales will join forces with World Rowing to host the first-ever Oceania Youth Athlete Development Camp & Competition for Beach Sprints in Sydney’s Northern Beaches from September 28 - October 6. 

The event, taking place at Station Beach, aims to foster talent and strengthen the beach sprint discipline across Oceania, particularly athletes born in 2008 and 2009. 

Organised by Laryssa Biesenthal OLY, World Rowing's Oceania Coach Development Expert and RA's Beach Sprint Lead Coach, the camp will assist neighboring Oceania countries in preparing their athletes for the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Africa.

Olympic Solidarity's support and endorsement from the Australian Olympic Committee make these camps possible, providing a platform for promising young athletes to refine their skills through world-class coaching and mentorship. 

Off the back of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, RA Beach Sprint Lead Coach Laryssa Biesenthal OLY will lead the camp, guiding 30 athletes and 11 coaches from seven neighbouring nations as they hone their talents in the new Olympic discipline. 

Biesenthal will oversee the training alongside World Rowing’s Development Manager and Safeguarding Lead, Inas Hussein.  

Rowing New South Wales (NSW) has been pivotal in bringing this camp to life, offering significant support in manpower, equipment, and logistics.

Elliot Shackcloth-Bertinetti, the Participation Manager at Rowing NSW, alongside their team, has provided coach boats, towing of boats, regatta design, and essential permits—all fully donated by Rowing NSW.

Their partnership with the Northern Beaches Council, which has granted the necessary permits for Station Beach, as well as Good Form Fitness supplying wave cutter boats for training, Palm Beach Surf Lifesaving Club for safety and equipment support, and SYKES donating beach sprint boats for the regatta, has been instrumental in ensuring the event's success.

A special highlight of the camp is the participation of five talented Indigenous athletes, who received scholarships after attending a Talent Identification Day run by the Western Sydney Academy of Sport in collaboration with Rowing NSW.

This initiative exemplifies the camp's inclusive approach, providing opportunities for youth athletes from diverse backgrounds.

With accommodation and facilities provided by the Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen, the camp will welcome athletes and coaches from Vanuatu, American Samoa, Australia, French Polynesia, Fiji, and Tonga. 

This location will serve as the base for training and preparations ahead of the Beach Sprints Championship at the end of the week. 

Focusing on development, the camp will enhance the Australian Beach Sprint community and the broader Oceania region, positioning beach sprint rowing as an emerging sport on the global stage as the discipline looks to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games. 

A total of 41 participants will engage in training, and capacity-building exercises, with the Beach Sprints Championship at the end of the week. 

As the camp progresses, energy will build toward the Oceania Youth Beach Sprints Championships and NSW All Schools Beach Sprint Championships.  

Entries for the weekend championships are open until Wednesday, October 2 at 5pm AEST.

Rowing NSW are seeking more officials to assist in delivering the championships.

Click here to find out more and to enter athletes.