Rockhampton's 2032 Olympic Dream: Fitzroy River Rowing Venue Takes Shape
Rockhampton's Fitzroy River is set to host rowing events at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a recent independent technical assessment giving the green light. The news has excited local rowers, including 18-year-old Ryan Hendrie, who hopes to represent Australia on the world stage.
It's 7am on a Saturday morning and the sound of a starter's gun echoes through the air upstream. Eight boats spring into action, their teenage rowers gliding through the calm, brown waters of the Fitzroy River in central Queensland.
The scene is set for a school regatta, but for Rockhampton, it's a glimpse of an Olympic future. The Fitzroy River is set to host rowing events at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Olympic dreams take shape
Ryan Hendrie, an 18-year-old rower, trains and races on the Fitzroy River every day. He said knowing the river was now all but confirmed as an Olympic rowing course gave it a different feeling.