Jack Robertson

Nationality

AUS

Height

195cm

School/high school/secondary school

Melbourne Grammar School

Club OUBC

Undergraduate/graduate

Graduate

Previous university

University of California, Berkeley

Undergraduate course

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

Graduate course

MSc in Sociology

Oxford college

Green Templeton

Why are you studying your course?

To build on my anthropological understanding of society and culture by using a sociological lens to study misinformation and polarisation in today’s political sphere.

What is the most interesting part of your course?

Sociological theories and ethnographic research.

Year you first started rowing

2014

First rowing club

Melbourne Grammar School

Why/how did you get into rowing?

I always enjoyed endurance sports, including cross country, so naturally I was eager to try rowing when it was first offered at my school in grade 8.

How do you balance rowing and academic life?

By using rowing to motivate my study, and study to motivate my rowing. I firmly believe they open doors for one another.

Name of first rowing coach

Nic Russell

Who is your rowing idol?

Jake Wetzel

Who would be your dream team eight to row with from everyone in the history of rowing?

Drew Ginn, James Tomkins, Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, Jake Wetzel, Alex Hill, Mike McKay, Josh Booth and Peter Cipollone

What is your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far?

I started rowing at Melbourne Grammar School where I won my first national championship in the schoolboy eight under Blair Jenkins in 2014 and went on to become Head of the River Champions in 2016 under Tom Abramowski. From 2017 to 2021 I studied and rowed at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States under Mike Teti and Scott Frandsen, achieving my best college result in the 1st varsity eight earlier this year with a silver medal at the IRA National Championship. My national team debut came in 2019 where I was selected to five seat of the Australian U23 men’s eight that competed in Sarasota, Florida. My biggest achievement to date is winning the King’s Cup National Championship in Australia for my home state of Victoria, beating our rivals New South Wales by a bow ball.

Obviously, there are long hours and hard work, what inspires you to keep rowing?

The opportunity to race and thereby the opportunity to win.

Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when?

No

What do you feel is your greatest achievement through rowing, be it accolades or something more personal?

The dedication that is required for the sport of rowing has shaped my ability to focus and perform, not just athletically but academically. Having spent the time learning to manage time, expectations, and priorities, I am grateful for the ways in which rowing has moulded my mentality. The constant strive to be better is contagious across all my endeavours.

Have you ever been at school/university/on a team with anyone at ‘the other place’?

Yes. George Finlayson and I spent the last four years rowing together at Cal Berkeley, as well as sitting at five and six seat in the U23 men’s eight in 2019.

What is the best place you have ever rowed?

Lake Barrington, Tasmania, Australia

Where would be your dream place to row?

Lake Bled, Slovenia

What has been your most embarrassing/funny rowing moment?

One of my favourite moments was verbally rousing Simon Keenan in a paddle before the Australian National Championships in 2021. I take my chat in the boat quite seriously and really love to galvanise the guys around me.

What is your favourite sports quote?

“There is no talent here. This is hard work. This is an obsession.” -Conor McGregor

How would you describe the sport to a non-rower?

Not canoeing or kayaking. A crossover between synchronised swimming and Vikings.

How does being an athlete make you a better person?

I think by virtue of looking after your body you learn how to look after your mind. It is important to be self-reflexive as an athlete, a trait that undermines the ego but is essential to success. The ability to zoom out, learn from others and work on your craft are things you can carry forward into the workplace and your personal life.

What is your favourite movie about sports? Why?

The Dawn Wall (2017). Essentially shows the grit required in sports but also the escape they provide from everyday life.

Why do you think someone outside of the sport can relate to your career as an athlete?

I think of training as my job. In this respect, everyone in the work force can relate to sports careers. There are short-term, medium-term, and longterm goals that are multi-faceted and have deadlines. You are constantly making compromises but looking for advantages, working on your weaknesses and buttressing your strengths.

What are your strengths, as a person and as an athlete?

I enjoy testing myself.

What do your friends think of your athletic success? How do you handle missing out on activities with friends because of your athletic schedule?

Most of my best mates are the guys I rowed with at school, so they understand the time commitment and love to talk rowing when we do catch up. It is nevertheless tricky to be there for your mates, particularly when you cannot be there physically. I see the merit in what I am working towards and am very aware of the sacrifices I make in terms of missing out on things. This is my choice, and I will continue to make these sacrifices until I retire from the sport, at which time I will more than make up for it with my friends and family.

Do you think you can win the Boat Race? Why?

I want to win more than my opposite man. It is that simple. It’s a war of attrition and we will not surrender.

Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing? 

Architecture, fashion design, and Booka Shade.