Zoe Beeson and Maisie Aspinall have already tasted success with Great Britain’s U19 rowing team and will be hoping for more when they compete at the European Championships this weekend.
Beeson, 17 and Aspinall, 18, have competed together for over four years, and cite their friendship as to why they make a good pair in the water, with the former saying: “If you trust the person you’re with, then it makes life so much easier.”
The Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association duo, Beeson is a former pupil of Albyn School, meanwhile Aspinall studies at Cults Academy, recently competed at the Munich International Junior Regatta as part of GB’s U19’s squad, where they both returned home with two gold medals.
By competing in Germany at the at the Oberschleissheim Olympic rowing course, it was the first time that the duo have competed on the international stage, after Covid-19 restricted opportunities to trial and compete with the junior GB team.
On the first day of the event, Beeson stormed to victory in the Junior Women’s Coxless pairs event with England’s Issie Magee, meanwhile, Aspinall was part of the four-strong boat who won the Junior Women’s Coxless Fours event.
The Aberdeen pair reunited for the Women’s Coxless Four the following day, and ensured double gold, crossing the finish line a massive 15 seconds ahead of their closest challengers.
Beeson said of her experience at the International Regatta: “Munich was a good stepping stone moving up into the European Championships and World’s. It was a good test to see how we compared.
“It was definitely more nerve-wracking than some of the smaller competitions that we’re used to.
“We’re used to knowing how we might do before we race, it was not knowing the opposition that we found to be the biggest difference.”
Aspinall added: “I really enjoyed it. Just learning about how the British rowing team operates – it’s very different to your club.
“You’re with people you don’t know, but all the coaches were really supportive.”
‘We will try and race our best race’
Beeson and Aspinall’s success in Munich seen them selected to represent Great Britain in the Women’s Coxless Pairs event at this weekend’s European U19 Rowing Championships in Italy.
But Aspinall insists that their feet remain firmly on the ground, despite their recent gold medal haul, and they go to Varese without setting strict medal targets.
“We’re definitely aspirational – we want to do as well as we can, but we have to draw a line under Munich and take the European Championships as they come,” she said.
“We’ll go there to try and race our best race, and learn as much as we can. We’re not going to put any pressure on ourselves.
“We’re competitive, but ultimately, we’re going for the international racing experience.”
The European Championships is another opportunity for the youngsters to come up against some of the best young athletes, and Beeson reckons it’s another step in the right direction.
Beeson explained: “It’ll be another big step. This is the competition where everyone in Europe sends their best boats.
“Being back together in the pair is exciting and will be a good experience – but a big challenge.”
The pair have established goals they would like to reach in the near future, but have also set long-term ambitions of moving into senior rowing and competing at university.
Beeson, who will be moving across the pond to study at Yale University, said: “Short term, our aim is to go to the World Junior Championships and hopefully do well in them.
“Team GB has had some success in juniors, but not for a while, so we hope to get higher up the rankings.”
Aspinall, who hopes to study medicine in Aberdeen, added about progressing to senior rowing: “As you get older, you get a lot stronger. The cut off times get a lot quicker.
“A lot of people take up rowing at university so you get a big influx of people who are really sporty coming in – which is good for the sport – but it makes it even more competitive.
“It’s a level up but it’ll be a natural progression.”
