Nurse and Olympic hopeful accidentally sets a WORLD RECORD while using her rowing machine to train during coronavirus lockdown
- Australian rower accidentally breaks half marathon world record while rowing
- Georgie Rowe, 27, took up rowing in 2016 after competing in surf boat racing
- The aged care nurse said she is still aiming to compete at the Tokyo Olympics
- Rowe also broke the 5km record while competing in November, 2019
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
An aged care nurse and Olympic hopeful has accidentally broken a world record on an indoor rowing machine while training.
Sydney rower Georgie Rowe, 27, set the new half marathon record while competing in an indoor rowing regatta.
Rowe told Daily Mail Australia getting the milestone wasn't her focus, instead she was focusing on getting competition points for her state.
'I didn't set out to break the record or anything, I just wanted to get the metres for my state,' Rowe said.
Her finishing time, 1.19:28.4, was more than 40 seconds faster than the old record set by American rower Esther Lofgren in 2015.
The registered nurse (pictured) was competing in an indoor rowing regatta when she accidentally shattered the old record set by American rower rower Esther Lofgren in 2015
Australian rower Georgie Rowe (pictured) shattered the half marathon world record while competing on an indoor rowing machine after all events were cancelled due to COVID-19
The achievement is the second world record for Rowe after she bettered the 5km time in November.
Rowe still works as a nurse in an aged care home while training and said she returned home from work with the goal of doing her best in the regatta.
She set the 21km target before putting some music on and 'going for it'.
The event was a replacement for the interstate regatta which was cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis.
In response Rowing Australia launched an indoor regatta and opened it up to the public, schools and gyms.
Competitors just needed safe access to their own rowing machine which allowed them to log their times on the clock.
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A dedicated Surf Life Saving NSW member Rowe had already won the national surf boat title and said the ocean was her first love.
A friend encouraged her to try traditional rowing to see if her skills translated to the sport.
Rowe went on to set the second fastest time at her first indoor competition.
The registered nurse is still training to compete at her first Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 after they were postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Rowe said she has printed out a set of records she hopes to conquer while she continues to train in lockdown.
The record breaking rower said her long term goal of making the Olympic team had not changed it had only been postponed.
Rowe (pictured) has set herself the goal of breaking another record after adding the half marathon to her list of accomplishments which started when she set the 5km record in 2019
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