Legendary rower Reg Free reflects on coaching legacy born at family’s Mermaid Waters home

WHEN Reg Free made the move from Tasmania to the Gold Coast he didn’t know his new home would become a breeding ground for Australia’s rowing elite.

Rowing legacy born in Coast canals

WHEN Reg Free and his family made the move from Tasmania to the Gold Coast, little did he know his new home would become the breeding ground for Australia’s rowing elite.

Representing his home state on 11 occasions and Australia on three, Reg Free is regarded as one of Tasmania’s greatest oarsmen and was inducted into the state’s sporting Hall of Fame.

But the father of three later etched his name in Queensland’s rowing history books as one of the state’s greatest coaches when he, his wife Helen and their children Marcus, Anita and Duncan, made the move from Hobart to Mermaid Waters in 1983.

It was from his new home that Reg began a coaching dynasty, guiding his sons to state, national and international glory.

“Back in Tassie I was asked to coach the senior opens at a local club so I thought I’d give it a go,” the 71-year-old said.

“When I moved up to the Gold Coast I thought I would continue doing it.”

While he coached a number of local rowers, it didn’t take long for oldest son Marcus, and later Duncan, to pick up an oar and start training with their dad.

“I knew from day one that Marcus was talented,” Reg said.

“The potential he showed was incredible. He was the best technical rower I had ever seen.”

“I had to spend more time with Duncan. Being younger he was always mucking around.”

Together the trio would spend early morning rowing on the canal in front of their McIlwain Drive home.

Using various houses, bridges and landmarks as distance markers, the canal became a popular training area for rowers from the Gold Coast and abroad.

“It was the best stretch of water in Queensland,” Duncan said.

“It was a good distance, was protected from winds and wasn’t affected by the tides too much.

“We had the British rowing teams training there before the (2000 Sydney) Olympics.

“The culture was much different to rowing clubs. We were close knit.”

Duncan went on to achieve Olympic glory as a rower.

After securing a bronze medal with Australia’s quad sculls crew at the Atlanta Games in 1996, he crowned his career by winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Drew Ginn in the coxless pairs.

Despite Reg and Helen moving from the canal-front family home to an apartment in Surfers Paradise, Duncan, 41, would still train there until his retirement two years ago.

He said he wouldn’t have achieved his success if it wasn’t for his father.

“He paved the way for us making the Australian team when he was younger and that was a path for us to try to follow,” he said.

“It was good for all of us. It worked well.

“We knew each other’s limits and how far you can push each other.”

Marcus, who now coaches his son Jackson, 15, at Griffith University Surfers Paradise Rowing Club, said he and his brother were always destined to become rowers.

“We didn’t really have a choice,” he joked.

“Dad had an old boat and we used to throw it in the canal and go for a row before we really knew what we were doing.

“After a couple of years I had my first race and Duncan decided to tag along too.

“It was a fun activity to do and we just kept at it.”

Reg continued to volunteer as a coach on the Gold Coast including The Southport School, Somerset College, Varsity College and Bond University.

He also was a noted netball coach. He coached his daughter Anita as well as being a head coach at St Hilda’s and Merrimac State High schools.

This week he was awarded Gold Coast Volunteer of the Year in recognition of his efforts in building the sport of rowing on the Gold Coast.