Mercantile Diamond Jubilee Henley Royal Regatta Campaign

Help us get to Henley Royal Regatta!

We're four girls from Gippsland, rowing for Mercantile Rowing Club, with a big dream - a dream that, with your contribution can come true! We want to race at Henley Royal Regatta, held on the River Thames, in the UK. We will be racing in the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup (Women's Junior Quad sculls).

Our crew is entirely made up of past and present Gippsland Grammar rowers, who have together formed a crew to compete under the well-respected mercantile banner.

This has been a dream of ours for nearly 2 years now, but for our coach Nick Bartlett, the Director of rowing at Gippsland Grammar, and Australian Para-rowing team member in 2024, our plan of attending Henley has been a work in progress for 3-4 years.

Henley is undoubtedly the most prestigious rowing event in the world, established in 1839. But for us, young girls from a country town in Gippsland, competing does become quite a challenge. The cost of this event is significant, however it will be definitely worth it from the experience, and opportunities it will bring us. We will need to cover accommodation, international travel, boat and oar hire, transport and training logistics. Now between 4 of us splitting these costs - it adds up quite quickly, and as young girls, we would really appreciate some help.

Our long awaited Henley Campaign is not just giving us another chance to race, it is giving us the opportunity to live our biggest dream, compete to the maximum ability that we can, gain international experience and to grow not just as rowers, but as people. It takes pure grit and determination to race at Henley, and balancing school, part-time jobs, rowing training 6 days per week, a usual teenage social life and other sports has been a challenge, but we know that this is the opportunity of a lifetime and we are not going to let it pass us by.

Every donation will go directly towards helping us get to the start line on the River Thames. Your support means everything to us, to see our community get behind us as we chase a massive dream.

Thank you!

The diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup:

Stroke: April Harrison

three: Scarlett Tavasci

two: Ella Gerrand

Bow: Lily Canfield