Mrs Gina Rinehart Speech |2019 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards

Mrs Gina Rinehart
Patron Rowing Australia
Executive Chairman Hancock Prospecting Group, Roy Hill, S Kidman & Co

2019 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards

Our most admirable athletes, and their families, coaches, fellow members of our rowing community, our President Rob Scott, distinguished guests, friends, I am so pleased to be here with you again for the annual night of nights for our sport.

What a year it has been. It was great to be with you for several rowing events, including the Henley Royal Regatta again, love going to that! and at the World Cup near Rotterdam, and witnessing part of the historic winning of the World Cup Series.  The first time Australia has ever won… as your Patron and I know Rob too, we are incredibly proud of this achievement. 

The sport of rowing is one that we know takes dedication, hard work, resilience, perseverance and sacrifice.   These attributes are common traits, in successful people across sport, also in business and life. It is exciting to see you envelop these skills, indeed one of the reasons I invested in rowing and Olympic sport.  I very much admire the endeavour you all show day after day in your training, to reach the ultimate goal of a medal at the Olympic Games. 

Thank you to Rob for your kind words, what more of an example do you need of someone that used the traits learned in rowing? 

I know many of you in the rowing community have family badly affected by the drought…having lived in the north-west together with currently operating in the outback across Australia, I can understand and feel the huge struggle as we have to try to deal with this on a daily basis. From everyone at Hancock, our thoughts and prayers are with you and all those dealing with this disaster as we struggle through this record drought.

Now…  we are not far away from the Tokyo Olympics, very exciting.    42 athlete seats qualified to this point… nearly double compared to 2016.  What a result! You still have intense training and individual selection ahead of you… but I know you will all approach this with the great commitment and gusto you have shown thus far. 

I now have the huge pleasure to announce the winner of the 2019 Gina Rinehart Leadership Award.  This year’s winner leads by example. She is a consistent voice that looks after her teammates.  She may not be the loudest, but when a strong example is needed she is there.  This athlete shows all the attributes I have spoken about earlier, coming back to the sport after completing her MBA at Melbourne Business School and doubling up in two boats this year, the Women’s Pair and Eight.  I am delighted to announce Jessica Morrison, from my original home state of WA, as the winner for 2019.