Brisbane rower Hamish Parry to represent Australia at World Cups

A Fierce will and an unrelenting desire were trademarks of Brisbane rower Hamish Parry, a St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace old boy and Toowong Rowing Club junior who will represent Australia at international World Cups this year.

Every champion has it, that fierce will, an unrelenting desire not to fail.

And they also have springs in their shoes so if they fall over, they spring straight back up, dust themselves off and push forward past any obstacles.

Australian rower Hamish Parry has those traits in spades.

“I think I’m the most stubborn person I know,’’ Parry said.

Brisbane rower Hamish Parry. Copyright is Rowing Australia.

“Of course I’ve had setbacks, and bad results, but I’ve never let anyone other than me decide my path.

“It’s always been as simple as ‘what do I need to do to get faster’.’’

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One year that meant Parry mirroring the same training program as the Australian men’s squad were doing in Canberra after he missed selection.

“I did the full program virtually by myself back home in Brisbane,’’ said Parry, who went to primary school at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School.

“They had far more support than me, such as a physio, masseuse, dietitian etc.

Hamish Parry, who grew up in Calamvale, in 2013 after being selected for Australia.

“This season it (making a sacrifice) meant moving to Sydney to row a double with Leon (Chambers) and his coach every day.

“Both were tough, but not as tough as having regrets years down the track about what could have been.’’

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Parry, a past student of St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace, will represent Australia alongside Chambers at World Cups No. 2 (June 21, Poland) and No. 3 (July 12, Netherlands), with the aims of making the final team for the world rowing championships (August 25).

The Toowong Rowing Club product will compete in the lightweight men’s double scull with Chambers.

He first made a senior international team in 2017 as a part of the lightweight mens quad, with James Kerr, Cameron Fowler, and Redmond Matthews the crew.

Hamish Parry during a training session. Pic Darren England.

“The following year I was in the scull, the one man boat. I learnt a lot from both of these experiences, but I enjoyed the scull the most, simply because it was just me.

“In a way, it’s simpler when sitting at the start line, but arguably scarier.

“Any failure is entirely on you. I learnt to embrace the emotion of it, and executed as well as I could.

“This selection is my first senior team in the Olympic class boat, the light double, with my teammate Leon Chambers.’’