Georgina Evers-Swindell

Two time Olympic Champion, Three time World Champion in the Women’s Rowing Double Sculls

Clementine Marshall was a very strong and promising young rower. She was stroke seat of the NZ Women’s U23 Quad which won a Bronze medal at the World Under 23 Rowing Championships in Amsterdam in 2005, and she was a member of the NZ Women’s Eight which won the B Final at the World Rowing Championships in Eton in 2006.

Clementine contributed greatly to the team spirit with her positive outlook, and sense of fun, and was one of the media spokespeople for the Women’s Eight.

What I did not know until after our European tour had finished in 2006 was that Clementine had been suffering from severe Reactive Arthritis from the very start of our tour. Despite this she continued training and competing under what I now know was excruciating pain, with relief from pain killers and anti inflammatories.

Most rowers at elite level at times row in considerable pain from injuries, but I can only imagine what it would have been like for Clementine suffering such pain for the whole 11 weeks of our tour.

On arriving back in New Zealand Clementine’s injuries were finally diagnosed as Reactive Arthritis and her rowing career was at an end.

She is now directing her energy to raising money for Arthritis New Zealand by walking the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain.

I hope you will support Clementine’s fundraising campaign, and thereby help other New Zealanders who suffer from arthritis.

Georgina Evers-Swindell

Mahe Drysdale

Three time World Champion in the Men’s Single Scull

Clementine Marshall was a member of the New Zealand rowing team in 2006. That year we traveled to Eurpoe to Europe for almost 3 months, training, and competing in World Cup Regattas, and the World Championships in Eton.

Clementine was a great team member, always poisitive and fun to be with. I was aware that she was suffering from what we all thought were “injuries” during the tour, but I had no idea until afterwards of the extent of the pain she endured. I now know she was suffering from severe Reactive Arthritis for the whole time we were away.

I know how tough it is to compete at World level when your body is under stress, and for Clementine to have continued training and rowing while suffering from such severe and ongoing pain shows what a strong, determined and committed young women she is. She was an integral part of the Women’s Eight (No. 7 seat), and she did not want to let the team down by taking the easy option and withdrawing.

Clementine had a great future ahead of her in rowing, but because her Reactive Arthritis now prevents her from continuing in this sport she has now taken up a new challenge – walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain to raise money for Arthritis NZ, and thereby help others who suffer from the crippling disease.

I want to personally endorse this fundraising campaign by Clementine, and encourage you to support her, and give generously to Arthritis NZ.

Mahe Drysdale