Former Mount Somers Springburn School lad Bede Giera chose rowing over rugby.
The latter sport had an extra enticement in the form of a offer with the Crusaders Academy.
But his passion for the water won out, and now the 18-year-old has been named to represent New Zealand in the coxed eights of the 2025 World Rowing Under 19 Championships.
They are in Trakai, Lithuania in August.
Giera is about to head into a six-week high performance training camp with his team mates in Cambridge on June 15, ahead of their departure in late July.
The championships run from August 6 to 10.
‘‘I’m over the moon, really excited, it should be a great experience,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s another rung in the ladder to where I want to go performing at the highest level for New Zealand in rowing.’’
It’s not without its difficulties.
He has to raise about $20,000 for the campaign which includes a pre-tour six week camp and the trip to Lithuania.
And keep up his training and fitness levels.
Giera said he is employed by dairy farmer Richard Stalker, fundraising flat-out, and also training at least 15 hours a week with club members Luke Tompkins, Ben Allan and Payo O’Sullivan, who are also in the national eights.
‘‘It’s good to have other people to train with. We are training 11 to 12 times a week for six weeks, twice a day most days.
‘‘There’s gym work, ergs and on the water rowing.’’
He said his motivation was bolstered by the support of people around him, which included national coach Dale Maher; Giera’s former high school rowing coach.
‘‘Being around good people and enjoying the company of my mates at rowing and also being a bit of a role model to my two younger brothers.
‘‘I just know it’s not going to be bad for me at all…I enjoy it and it keeps me fit.
‘‘I’m quite a competitive person – so if I can leave that somewhere it’s good.’’
Giera, the eldest son of Tina and Nick Giera of Ruapuna, has just completed his first season with the Avon Rowing Club in Christchurch.
Giera’s employment did not include milkings, but he was doing six hours a day helping out where needed on the 500 cow dairy farm at Rangiora.
‘‘It’s been great and I really appreciate them being flexible for me,’’ he said.
It allowed him to attend morning and afternoon training sessions.
‘‘It’s been awesome, it’s been great to get some money.
‘‘I’m off a dairy farm and it’s kind of what I know. It makes it pretty easy.’’
He said during the season, which runs from around late-October through to mid-February, national selectors watched results and times from competition, which lead to trials and the team naming.
Giera was on the list.
‘‘The day after the Maadi Cup they announced the trial group (12 rowers with one oar).
‘‘We had a seven-day trial in April and at the end of that they selected an eight. Eight guys and a coxswain.’’
Giera started rowing when in year 10 at St Bede’s College.
He was already playing rugby and had been involved in competitive swimming.
But rowing was at another level.
‘‘I just loved it from there. I had some really good mates that were rowing so I carried that out until the end of my schooling … rugby as well.
‘‘They both went pretty well together,’’ he said.
In 2023, he was a member of the St Bede’s under 18 men’s eights rowing team which won the highly contested Maadi Cup, and he also took to the field in the school’s first XV rugby side.
‘‘I played for the first XV for two years and was captain in my last year.
‘‘I also got selected to play for the New Zealand Schools’ rugby team and after that I was offered a Crusaders Academy position (through) until 2027.’’
Giera turned it down to focus on rowing.
Being young for his year group – his birthday is in January – Giera was able to compete in the under 19 pathway with opportunities to attend overseas universities through rowing.
