Pioneer Of Womens Rowing

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 11

Pioneer Of Womens Rowing

p almost every field of activity, women have achieved equal rights; there are very few strongholds of masculine superiority left, especially in sporting fields. There are women cricketers, women footballers, women cyclists and even women wrestlers. One sport, rowing, has long managed to reserve its ranks for male participants, but now it has succumbed, because of the energetic efforts of a keen sportswoman, working in the best traditions of Emmeline Pankhurst The sporting suffragette is Lynette Skelton, who, in spite of early opposition, and strong restrictions, has gained two major victories—the achievement of first place with a national

women's crew in the Australian inter-state championships at Adelaide, and the inclusion of a women’s championship event in the recent New Zealand rowing championships at Lake Waihola. Miss Skelton acknowledges help from her male rowing colleagues in the beginning, especially from experienced coaches and administrators. In fact, it was the New Zealand coach, Mr

W. Craies, who helped guide

the New Zealand national crew to its success at Adelaide in April. However, she feels that having got this far, women’s rowing shall and will develop autonomously. Although she has always enjoyed water sports, especially boating, Miss Skelton’s interest in rowing did not develop until recently. Nevertheless, although she has been actively interested in rowing only a short

while, she has done an im-

mense amount to foster it as a women’s sport throughout New Zealand. She coaches the Auckland University women’s four, is the stroke for the North Shore four, and was indirectly responsible for the inception of the Wellington Erewhon crew. She is willing to go anywhere to help in the development of new local clubs. The national women’s crew’s win at Adelaide inspired Miss Skelton to greater efforts for women’s rowing. With an energetic group of prospective women rowers, she raised enough money to buy a boat and

oars, and is at present planning activities for coming seasons. She hopes to see a return visit by an Australian women’s crew, and also a possible visit by a women’s crew from the United States.