FIVE times a week, City Beach teenager Natasha Gay gets up at the crack of dawn for two hours of rowing training before school at Presbyterian Ladies College.
When the school day is done Natasha completes 60 to 90 minutes of off-water cross- training.
“My life is eat, sleep, study, row – that’s the way I love it,” she said.
The training and passion has paid off for the 15-year-old, who returned home with three gold medals and one silver at the Australian Rowing Championships held in Victoria in earlier this month.
Despite being one of the youngest competitors, Natasha won gold in the schoolgirl single scull, under- 19 women pair and under 19 women 4 and silver in the interstate women youth 8.
“It was a great event. I was so excited to be in the final of the schoogirl single scull and went in as one of the favourites,” she said.
For winning the event, Natasha won a single scull and oars worth about $8000.
Last week she was invited to join national rowing team, the Australian Junior Elite Training Squad (JETS).
Just 12 girls were selected to join the JETS and attend an Australian Institute of Sports camp in Canberra in April.
Natasha said she was excited to be selected because it was a stepping stone to the Australian Selection Regatta in Sydney in late April and the World Rowing Junior Championship in the Czech Republic in August.
Now in Year 11, Natasha discovered she had an aptitude for rowing in Year 9.
She trains with the Swan River Rowing Club and is primarily coached and mentored by Olympian Rebecca Sattin.
Natsha said had short, middle and long-term goals.
While her long-term goals include the World Championships she said her middle goal was to do her best.