Darryn Hope

Corio Bay Rowing Club (VIC), currently Port Macquarie Rowing Club (NSW)

Darryn enjoyed a brief and successful rowing career which had a big impact on him. Fond memories remain as well as the disciplines and desire. Recently he has returned to the sport.

It was not your usual start to the sport. Whilst fishing on the Barwon River in about 1982, he spotted rowing from the bank and thought that rowing was his sport. He followed the crew back to their boatshed and joined the Corio Bay Rowing Club.

Given his ideal physique for the sport with height, long arms and long legs, and also his desire to succeed, he rapidly rose from novice to good club oarsman. The next year he competed in the under 19 pair at the National Championships in Perth finishing second.

In 1984, Corio Bay got together some excellent under 19 and youth crews of which Darryn formed part. Their youth eight nearly defeated the Mercantile eight stroked by James Tomkins which went onto to easily win the National Championships. It is not hard to imagine what might have occurred if Victoria had been permitted to boat two crews in the Interstate Championships, possibly first and second.

He also raced in the Under 23 Pair at the 1984 Australian Championships finishing sixth. But that was not the full story. With a few hundred metres to go and in front or at least well positioned to win, they clipped a buoy and capsized. They got back in the boat and finished last. However it was a performance which impressed the Australian selectors sufficiently to name him in the Australian Under 19 four. It was also sufficient for Geelong College to offer him a scholarship to do his year 12 at that school in 1985. He did not take up that offer. It was also sufficient for the AIS to offer him a scholarship to the AIS development squad, again which he did not accept.

Why is the obvious question? After taking a year off to race overseas for Australian in the Under 19 Championships, he "met a girl, bought a house and started work". He was a young man wanting to get on with his life.

Back to the World Junior Championships in Jonkoping Sweden. His crew raced superbly finishing with a bronze medal. Darryn raced in the three seat.

After rowing, Darryn has done a lot of surfing and paddle boarding. Very recently he returned to the sport in Port Macquarie and even his wife has joined him.

Andrew Guerin
September 2024

Sources:

This website
Conversation with Darryn on 18th September 2024
Photographs - Phil Ainsworth

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, errors may exist. Please send advice of any errors or inaccuracies by email to:

Also your comments, suggestions and photos are sought to enhance this site.

The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
These contents of this history are copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. However given that the purpose of the history is to assist rowers and rowing clubs, written permission is not required for non-commercial usage by rowers and rowing clubs provided acknowledgement is made.

Disclaimer: Whilst extensive efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, the editors take no responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever arising from inaccuracies contained in this work.