Rowie Webster: Water Polo Olympic Bronze Medalist Reveals Her Workout And Diet Secrets

Namita Nayyar (WF Team)

8 years ago

Rowie Webster is an Australian water polo centre back. She has attended Korowa Anglican Girls’ School and Arizona State University. As youngster, she played Australian rules football and was involved with surf lifesaving. She started playing water polo as a ten-year-old. She has played for the Richmond Tigers, the Victorian State team, Arizona State University and a professional side in Greece.

She has represented Australia as a member of Australian women’s national water polo team on both the junior and senior level. She has earned gold medals at the 2011 Canada Cup, and the 2007 FINA Junior World Championships. She earned a silver medal at the 2010 FINA World League Super Finals. She earned bronze medals at the 2010 FINA Women’s Water Polo World Cup and the 2009 FINA World League Super Finals. She is one of seventeen players fighting for thirteen spots to represent the country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in water polo.

Her grandfather was Warwick Wathen, who competed at the Davis Cup as a junior. Her mother is a physiotherapist. She has a sister who also plays water polo. Webster is 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) tall, weighs 81 kilograms (179 lb) and is right handed. She has two tattoos: “One life no regrets” & a compass of the latitude and longitude of Melbourne and Anglesea”.

Webster attended Korowa Anglican Girls’ School and used to play Australian rules football as a youngster. She took up surf lifesaving as a seven-year-old. She studied for her Victorian Certificate of Education in 2005. She spent a year studying at Arizona State University on scholarship where she studied physiotherapy. She is currently on scholarship at the Victorian Institute of Sport, working on a Bachelor of physical education in secondary teaching, and living in Balwyn North, Victoria. Her Stingers teammate Melissa Rippon says she is “A girly girl but not too girly. She loves her shoes, loves getting her hair done.”

Webster started playing water polo as a ten-year-old and more seriously as a twelve-year-old in Melbourne, Australia acting as a fill in for her older sister’s team at that age. In 2010 and 2011, she had a water polo scholarship from the Victorian Institute of Sport. She prefers to wear cap number seven and is a utility player who can be found in the centre back position. She has scars on her back from opposition players biting her there during games. She feels a need to wear a mouth guard during every game she plays. Her water polo club is the Richmond Tigers. In 2003, she played for the club at State League Level 1, the highest ability league open to players of all ages. She first represented the state of Victoria in 2000.

In 2003, she was Victorian team captain. In 2003, she woke up at “4.40 am twice a week for training and swimming three afternoons a week”. In 2005, she was putting in “three gym sessions, three swimming drills, and six rounds of water polo practice” a week. That year, she represented the state of Victoria at the Australian Water Polo Championships. She also represented the state in 2005 at the National Schoolgirls Water Polo Competition held Noosa, Queensland.

Webster played for the Victorian Tigers of the National Water Polo League in 2004 during the team’s first year of existence. She also played for the team in 2005, 2007,2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Webster attended Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona on a water polo scholarship when she was an eighteen-year-old but only spent a year with the team. Professional water polo As a nineteen-year-old, Webster played for a professional team in Greece for five months in 2008. While playing in Greece, she had to deal with a culture of water polo that tolerated biting of other players during games. She left Greece to concentrate on making Australia’s national team for the Olympics.

Webster has represented Australia on the junior national level. In 2003, she was chosen for the Youth Olympic Composite Team. In 2004, she was a member of Australia’s U17 team that played matches against the United States and New Zealand. In 2005, she was chosen as a member of Australia’s U20 national team and played with the team during a 20-day tour of Italy, Greece and Spain. She was a member of the junior national side at the 2007 FINA U20 World Championships in Porto, Portugal that took home gold after going undefeated in the tournament.

Webster is a member of the Australia women’s national water polo team. She was a member of the team that earned a bronze at the 2009 FINA World League Super Finals in Kirishi, Russia. In 2009, she was a member of a team that competed at the FINA World Championships. She played in the semi-finals game against New Zealand that Australia won 14–4. In the game, she scored three goals. Her team finished sixth overall. In 2010, she was a member of the national team that competed in the preliminary rounds of the FINA World League in Japan from 21–23 May and in China from 26–28 May. In May 2010, she was a member of the team that competed at the FINA World League Asia-Oceania zone held in Osaka, Japan and Tianjin, China. In the FINA World League Super Finals in La Jolla, California in 2010, her team earned a silver medal.

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In 2010, Webster was a member of the Stingers squad that competed at the FINA World Cup in Christchurch, New Zealand. In the team’s bronze medal finals 10–8 victory over the United States, she scored a goal. Australia finished the tournament with a bronze medal.

At the 2011 Canada Cup, Webster scored two goals in the first period in the gold medal match against China. She scored four total goals in the match. The team won the game. In July 2011, she was a member of the Australian Stingers that competed in the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai as a field player. In preparation for this tournament, she attended a team training camp in Perth, Western Australia. She competed in the pool play match against Uzbekistan where Australia won 27–2. In the match, she scored four goals.

Webster competed in the Pan Pacific Championships in January 2012 for the Australian Stingers. She scored a goal in a Stingers 8–7 win over the United States. In February 2012, she was named to the final training squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics. She attended training camp that started on 20 February 2012 at the Australian Institute of Sport.The team of seventeen players will be cut to thirteen before the team departs for the Olympic games, with the announcement being made on 13 June. She was part of the Stingers squad that competed in a five game test against Great Britain at the AIS in late February 2012. This was the team’s first matches against Great Britain’s national team in six years.

In the first game of the test series on 21 February 2012 that Australia won 13 – 5, she scored three goals. She competed in the third match, where Australia won 15–6 and she scored three goals. She competed in the fourth match where Australia won 14–8. In the match, she scored two goals and was one of Australia’s best players in the game.

Rowie Webster has been a finalist for world player of the year the past two years – the only southern hemisphere player in men’s and women’s water polo to do that.

Achievements of Rowie Webster

Olympic Games

Bronze 2012 London

World Championships

Silver 2013 Barcelona

Canada Cup

Gold 2011 Canada Cup

FINA Junior World Championships

Gold 2007 Porto, Portugal

FINA Women’s Water Polo World Cup

Bronze 2010 World Cup

FINA World League Super Finals

Bronze 2009 Kirishi, Russia
Silver 2010 La Jolla, USA

Rowie Webster is Water Polo Olympic bronze medalist, winner of 2007 FINA Junior World Championships, 2009 World Championships, silver medals at the FINA World League Finals, FINA World Cup in 2010, 2012 Pan Pacific Championships, London Olympic Test Event, silver at the World League Super finals and Silver at 2013 Barcelona World Championships. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You played Australian rules football as a youngster. You took up surf lifesaving as a seven-year-old. You started playing water polo as a ten-year-old. You reached the pinnacle of success in the sports of water polo on winning Bronze 2012 London Olympic Games and Silver at 2013 Barcelona World Championships. What factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?

Ms. Rowie Webster: I believe that growing up in Melbourne and being the youngest of four children allowed me to be involved in a number of different sports growing up. At school I would play a different sport every term and challenge myself to learn new skills and be a good team player. I have maintained this attitude throughout mu water polo career and it has not failed me yet. My older siblings played water polo and at age 12 I decided that it looked like a lot of fun, I fell in love with water polo after playing my first game and I have never looked back. Hard work and determination to continually better myself as an athlete are my main driving forces now leading into the World Championships this year in 2015 and then the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have selected a sport which is a team sport and requires a lot of cohesiveness and family feeling between the players of the side to finally succeed, how do you achieve that?

Ms. Rowie Webster: I love playing a team sport, It takes a whole team to win a medal, you can’t win through individual brilliance. Its a great challenge trying to balance your own personal goals and achievements alongside the teams achievements and goals. We challenge each other to be better at every session, the Aussie Stingers are a family. We travel a lot of the year together, live out of each others pockets, and we are successful in achieving our goals. Its the perfect athlete life.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?

Ms. Rowie Webster: A water polo player has to be physical fit to last a whole game which lasts about an hour, yet has to be strong and mobile to outsmart your opponent. We do a lot of skill work together as a team and also do 3 swim sessions and 3 gym sessions. Being a professional athlete for the Stingers is basically a full time job.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Rowie Webster: Having a balanced diet is very important for an athlete to fuel their bodies for training and recovery. I stick to a fairly well balanced diet from our team nutritionist. Staying fit and healthy is the main objective for me.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words our inspiring and budding water polo playing girls who all are your fans shall like to know from you for their climb to ladder of success in water polo?

Ms. Rowie Webster: To all those wanting to achieve success make sure you work hard and follow your dreams. You may not be successful on first attempt. However keep striving to better yourself.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: How did you feel before and after your memorable winning of Gold in 2007 FINA Junior World Championships at Porto, Portugal?

Ms. Rowie Webster: Before the Junior World Championships I was very nervous. I love playing for my country and I get very excited to wear Australian uniform. I knew we were a very good team, we had been training and playing together for 3 years, it was a very special moment when we were crowned World Junior Champions.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have been finalist for the FINA female water polo player of the year in 2013 & 2014 and was awarded Player of the Tournament at the 2014 FINA World Cup. Tell us how does it feel to receive this honour?

Ms. Rowie Webster: I feel very honoured to be categorized as one of the worlds best players. To win a gold medal with my team at the Rio Olympics is my main goal, however winning individual awards while striving to achieve this dream is an absolute honour.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have won as part of the water polo team that won 2007 FINA Junior World Championships, 2009 World Championships, silver medals at the FINA World League Finals, FINA World Cup in 2010, 2012 Pan Pacific Championships, London Olympic Test Event, silver at the World League Super finals, Bronze at 2012 London Olympic Games and Silver at 2013 Barcelona World Championships. What responsibilities does these achievements bestow upon you of giving back to the sport of ice hockey and its upcoming players?

Ms. Rowie Webster: I have been very fortunate to be apart of so many successful water polo teams throughout my playing career. As an athlete I believe we have the responsibility to uphold societys values and be the best people we can be. Through our hard work in the water polo pool, I hope to inspire many more girls and women to be fit and healthy and grow up loving sport just as much as I do. I encourage everyone to partake in a team sport at some stage in their lives. Sport is very rewarding.

To know the latest about Rowie Webster check her out at her social network:

Women Fitness Team thanks Rowie Webster for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and shall also like to thank David Lyall Managing Director, Sports Communication Australia who made this interview happen.

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