2 mins
James Hunter
Nationality
NZL
Height
185cm
School/high school/secondary school
Onslow College
Club
CUBC
Undergraduate/graduate
Graduate
Previous university
Massey University
Undergraduate course
Bachelor of Business Studies
Graduate course
MBA
Cambridge college
St Catharine’s
What is the most interesting part of your course?
Organisational Behaviour and Leadership
Year you first started rowing
2007
First rowing club
Wellington Rowing Club
Why/how did you get into rowing?
I followed in the footsteps of my older siblings who also rowed.
Name of first rowing coach
Michele Munro
Who is your rowing idol? Kerri Gowler/Grace Prendergast -NZ women’s pair.
Who would be your dream team eight to row with from everyone in the history of rowing?
All recent New Zealanders of course -Hamish Bond, Eric Murray, Alister Bond, James Lassche, Chris Harris, John Storey, Tom Murray and myself.
How do you balance rowing and academic life?
College dinners and a bike (reduce cooking and travel time as much as possible) plus a lot of coffee plus a flexible coach.
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
5th at the 2016 Olympics.
Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when?
No
Have you ever been at school/university/on a team with anyone at ‘the other place’?
No
Your favourite race so far?
2017 Lucerne world cup – men’s pair -gold
What is the best place you have ever rowed?
Training -Lake Bohinj, Slovenia. Racing -Rotsee, Lucerne, Switzerland.
Where would be your dream place to row?
Lake Pukaki, New Zealand
Obviously, it is long hours and hard work‚ what inspires you to keep rowing?
Keeping fit.
What do you feel is your greatest achievement through rowing, be it accolades or something more personal?
The 2017 international season -rowing the NZ men’s pair with Tom Murray.
What has been your most embarrassing/funny rowing moment?
Capsizing on the first stroke of the men’s pair heat at NZ rowing championships one year.
What is your favourite sports quote?
“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do” -Derek Jeter
How would you describe the sport to a non-rower?
Paddling a boat, backwards.
What is your favourite movie about sports? Why?
Cool Runnings -love an underdog story.
How does being an athlete make you a better person?
The transparency of the results forces you, as a team member, to get comfortable giving and receiving constructive (and sometimes brutal) feedback -promotes a growth mindset.
Why do you think someone outside of the sport can relate to your career as an athlete?
Because my rowing career has hinged on the premise -bigger isn’t always better.
What are your strengths, as a person and as an athlete?
Work ethic, pure and simple.
What do your friends think of your athletic success?
They think I’m mad. They don’t understand at all and think I should spend more time at the pub.
Do you think you can win the Boat Race? Why?
Of course -because we have more fun.
Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing?
Outside rowing? Rhetorical question?