Page 14 - NHS Beyond the Classroom

Alan Cotter 1978

New Zealand’s rowing success in the World
Championships at West Germany set the whole country
talking.
Alan Cotter has spent much of his life involved with
rowing and reached the top of the sport in 1978 since
beginning his interest in the sport at the age of 11.
Alan states that coxing is a very demanding sport both
physically and mentally, and weight problems have to be
watched continually. His answer - yoghurt and cream
crackers!
Alan, at 26, was selected as coxswain for the New
Zealand Rowing Eight in 1978 and helped the crew collect
a bronze medal at the World Championships at Lake
Karapiro (near Cambridge).
The following year (1979) Alan was again selected as
coxswain for the New Zealand eight and travelled with the
crew to the World Championships in Yugoslavia, where the
crew rowed its way to a silver medal.
In 1980 Alan was again named coxswain for the
representative eight, which was to have competed at the
Olympic Games at Moscow that New Zealand boycotted.
Alan’s involvement with rowing began at the
Ngaruawahia Rowing Club, which nurtured his talent,
coxing for them in the Mardi Cup, until he transferred to the
Waikato Rowing Club.