|
Rowing Victoria's Weekly Local Legend - Nicholas Inglis
Nick Inglis’ main rowing ambition is to be racing as an eighty-year-old. And to keep developing as a coach. And to complete his continent clean-sweep by rowing in North and South America. Oh, and to give more back to the sport he has loved since school.
When he arrived at boarding school in Melbourne he was strong from farm-work, but had zero sporting skills. At that time, the most promising students were directed into tennis, swimming or cricket. “They threw a ball at me, I managed to dodge and fumble it, and my rowing career was underway,” he said. “I won my first medal in the 10th 8+, then spent that winter learning to scull.”
Nick is very proud of his coaching career as well. “More than 100 people, mostly volunteers, have coached me during the years,” he said. “My commitment now is to repay them by passing skills and knowledge on to new generations. I get as much thrill watching a novice crew win their first medal as an experienced crew take on Henley!”
“I have been inspired by the Ancient Mariners racing squad, by novice rowers who are keen to learn and who have new insights, by the great oarsmen and women who row the Yarra, and by some of the best coaches in Australia,” Nick said. He fondly remembers Keith Bilney (24 March 1913 – 24 September 1994), who advised rowers to relax while setting an escalating series of drills and exercises, all of which seemed to make the boat go faster. However, when Nick tried applying these lessons in his own coaching practice, he realised how much knowledge and experience went into tailoring each exercise to correct a specific error, or to strengthen good practice.
Nick is as proud of coaching Queens College Boat Club for 20 years as of all his racing. “The best thing about coaching university kids is that they are ready to take on knowledge quickly, and then how willing they are to come back the following season to row or coach themselves. Watching two decades of non-rowers become athletes, and then to become up-and-coming coaches. That’s gratifying.”
Across all aspects of his life, Nick has found that success breeds success. In his IT business, he has applied key rowing lessons: build a flat structure where decisions are transparent and where everybody feels comfortable to ask questions and offer insights; see through bias; and put aside the ego. “Anyone can learn to row,” he said. “It’s my job to inspire them to come back next season; and that’s what makes my business work too.”
Nick has rowed for Scotch College, Mercantile Rowing Club, Melbourne Uni (intervarsity), Queens College Boat Club, Powerhouse Rowing Club, and now Yarra Yarra Rowing Club. His biggest rowing achievements include a national title in the lightweight double (aged 38), winning the Brady Cup, Herald Shield and the Around the island (Winter Sculling handicap series).
He has also won the Silver Sculls at Henley on the Yarra, has won gold for Victoria in the interstate men’s Quad at every National Masters Championship regatta since 2013, and reached the semi-final of the Britannia Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2010 (eventually beaten by London Rowing Club).
His favourite racing moment was a coach’s call to a just defeated young Toowong crew at Penrith: “See those old men? They’re walking away with YOUR medals!” He’s had too many wonderful rowing moments to select just one; but he laughed when he remembered his first row with Powerhouse Rowing Club. “We headed upstream in the club’s beautiful timber coxed 4, and came face to face with a MUBC eight travelling downstream. Their bow rigger shaved off the top five centimetres of our boat, from the bow ball to the bowman. Their stroke called ‘save yourselves’ and dived; we carried our boat the 2 kms home.”
He had a better introduction to Yarra Yarra Rowing Club, for whom his first race was during the 2018 Saltwater Challenge. His crew won the Male Open 4x +/-, registering the fastest time on the day.
His other ambition? “They don’t call me Bingy by accident. I’m trying to keep the major collisions down to one a decade.”
Do you know somebody who is a local rowing legend?
Provide us with their name and story for a chance to be featured in Rowing Victoria's weekly featured athlete via email at:
memberservices@rowingvictoria.asn.au
| 
