Calla's oarsome success on water

Fifteen-year-old Calla Gould-Whaley started rowing just two-and-a-half years ago at the age of 12, when she took it for Year 7 sport at Trinity Catholic College.

Calla loved it from the get-go and has steadily increased her involvement from just two hours a week as school sport to include after-school rowing, morning rowing, weekend rowing and holiday rowing. And she doesn't look like slowing down, as she's joined the North Coast Academy of Sport, which holds training camps a few times a year.

Calla recently competed at the State Championships in Sydney, where she qualified for the finals in the single, double and quad races, and placed fourth in the singles final, just seven seconds behind the winning time.

Since the state titles in February, Calla has worked tirelessly on fine tuning her skills and endurance. She goes on to compete at the National Championships next week in Perth, a week-long regatta where she will again compete in all three events.

There's been great support from the community and Calla sends thanks to Dugald Fisher, Mayor Jenny Dowell, the Trinity Catholic College Captaincy Council, Deb Tkachenko and coach Peter Wallace.

Anybody who's interested in learning to row can go along at 8am on Saturday mornings to the Lismore Rowing Club shed, behind the Lakeside Lodge Motel at 100 Bruxner Highway, Lismore.

When Calla returns from the national titles she will be looking for a local business sponsor that she can represent, as this is just the beginning of her rowing career.