10 years in 7. 36. 08 minutes

If someone were to ask me which is my favourite photograph in my collection, without hesitation I would tell them about what is possibly the worst one that I have.

It’s not a photo that was posed. Its subject was not aware that it was being taken, and at the time, she was experiencing one of the most extreme emotional moments of her life.

Her face shows every feeling that accompanied that flash in time: Relief, pain, disbelief, pride, gratitude, uncertainty, and probably a few more things that she may recall even today, several years after the event.

The photo was taken in Florida, while, across the other side of the world, at 1.30 in the morning, I was recovering from having witnessed, through the wonders of live streaming, the event that she had just endured. I’m sure that I aged 10 years in the 7.36.08 minutes that the occasion lasted.

I’m convinced I had not breathed for close to three minutes. Several clumps of my hair had only just remained in place after I had been severely yanking it in disbelief. Tears streamed down my face, and you can imagine the state of my nose, as I desperately tried to silence my cries. I didn’t want to wake my beautiful son in his bedroom across the hall. It took me about half an hour to stop shaking, and even as I write this, nearly five years later, the tears are again welling in my eyes.

My incredible niece had just won the 2019 under 23 world rowing championship.

Of all the races she has rowed, that I have been privileged to watch - including two olympics - this one remains the most vivid in my memory. It’s up there with the repechage at the 2020 olympics, where she and her team so unexpectedly led all the way to the win.

A few days before the world championships, her mum had informed me that they were not expecting any medals. So while my incredible niece spent the majority of the 2000 metre race in 4th place, I was as proud as punch. After all, to be 4th in the world is a huge enough deal.

The American boat had streaked ahead early and had remained firmly in first place, with the commentators convinced that she would take home the gold. The French and Bulgarian boats spent the majority of the race alternating between 2nd and 3rd places. But, almost without me noticing, with 750 metres to go, my incredible niece was suddenly in 2nd place.

250 metres later she was still there, with the commentators continuing to forecast an American win. With 300 metres to go, from my limited vantage point, there appeared to still be an impossible distance between the two boats. It was the same at 200 metres, but at 60 metres, literally seconds before the race’s end, my incredible niece was half a boat length behind the winning position. Then by the 40 metre mark, with only about five strokes to go, she pushed into first place and brought the boat across the line.

I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t even think to watch the medal ceremony. In fact, tonight, five years later, as I have written this post, I have finally seen the medal presentation for the first time. I can’t help but burst with pride at the sheer joy on my incredible niece’s face as she accepted her prizes and heard our national anthem play.

She told me a fortnight later when we gathered for the family celebration, that she had “stolen” the flag from the medal presentation. Apparently after each ceremony the athletes have to return the flags for the next one. Since her’s was the last race with any Australians racing, she simply told the officials she was keeping it. It now hangs in pride of place in her bedroom back in her home town.

Two years later, she accomplished what none of us had dared to dream when she began her rowing journey seven years prior: A bronze medal in the women’s quadruple sculls at the 2020 Olympics. I still have the newspaper clippings displayed on my fridge and I can’t bring myself to file them away.

There are any number of beautiful official photographs on the internet of my incredible niece’s achievements. But the unofficial one of her falling into her parents’ arms moments after becoming a world champion, remains my favourite of the worst photos in my collection.

Nikki

My incredible niece with the stolen flag. Look at that smile! (Needless to say, this is not the referred to photo.)