FREMANTLE Rowing Club has appointed WA’s first female full-time senior head coach — a breakthrough for a sport traditionally dominated by men. 

Olivia Jones steps into the role after an impressive career leading Western Australian representative teams and coaching championship-winning crews at state and national levels. 

Ms Jones said making the sport more inclusive was an ongoing journey, noting that “a few clubs in Perth didn’t allow women to row until quite recently.”

Establishing support groups for female rowers and coaches had played an important role in empowering members.

“[We] try to put each other forward for roles if they come up and support each other with tough situations and environments,” Ms Jones said. 

She hopes her accomplishment can inspire other young female athletes.

• Olivia Jones’s appointment as WA’s first full-time female head coach is making waves for all the right reasons.

“I am pretty young, so showing them that you don’t have to wait until you’re middle-aged to be in these sorts of leadership roles, and it doesn’t have to be the way men lead a rowing club.” 

Ms Jones said female leadership often rests on open communication to work through challenges over the more cutthroat disciplining that some male coaches use. 

She is dedicated to creating a club culture that is exciting for its members.

“I really enjoy helping build a positive, inclusive and development-focused rowing environment across all levels,” she said.

Club president Sam Knight agrees the club has come a long way in a relatively short time.

“There’s people who were on the committee when Fremantle started admitting [female] members who still [are] at the club, so that tells you how recent that was.”

Mr Knight said in her brief time as head coach, Ms Jones had created a welcoming and inclusive environment for athletes. 

“It’s been really great to see how many people have come and said how good an appointment that is. 

“We’ve seen that there’s been rowers who’d left the club in recent years and then heard Liv’s here and are coming back, so that’s been fantastic!”

He said strong leaders like Ms Jones served as role models which helped improve the progression of female athletes. 

“Rowing is a relatively small sport so it’s quite organic, and I think success or a good atmosphere tends to breed more.”

by ALISHA IRVING