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In the Boat with Tegan Fookes

by Collin Thomas
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“Everything matters. Showing up for training and working hard matters to the speed of the boat. At the end of the day, just being able to have that mindset give you an advantage in everything you do.”

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Tegan Fookes

Senior - Rotorua, New Zealand

ORLANDO – In her senior year, Tegan Fookes carries the word “determination” in the back of her mind into UCF rowing’s inaugural Big 12 season.

In Fookes’s four years at UCF, she has grown to be a leader in a new era of UCF rowing. From competing in the First 8+ from her freshman year to becoming an American Athletic Conference First Team All-Conference recipient in 2022, the New Zealand native knows about patience and working hard toward the end goal.

“The cream always rises to the top,” Fookes said. “There’s a lot of talented people in the world, but who is willing to work harder and who is determined to show up every day wanting to get better. A lot of it is just mindset.”

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Fookes grew up on a farm in Rotorua, New Zealand, located in the center of the country’s North Island. Working on a farm with her family, Fookes was able to recognize the meaning of hard work and the lessons that were taught by her father are something that translated into the sport she competes in today.

“I think it really helped with my work ethic,” Fookes said. “Your work rate is something that is so important in rowing because you get out what you put in. It’s a very rewarding sport. I think learning how much hard work pays off and having great work ethic from the get-go has really helped me to where I am now.”

Fookes started rowing with her sister while she was a teenager. Although she competed in variety of sports such as hockey, water polo, and swimming growing up, Fookes felt a connection to the boat from the point she got in one.

“I just knew I was passionate about it immediately,” Fookes said. “I loved being involved in every sport pretty much, but rowing was definitely for me.”

Fookes’s journey grew from the moment she first put oars in the water to when she graduated from Rotorua High School in spring 2020. From the start, Fookes grew in the sport of rowing, winning several New Zealand secondary school and club championships in just a few years after hitting the water with her sister.

Upon graduating, Fookes was determined to take her talents to the next level and set a goal to compete in the U.S. at the collegiate level.

“I just reached out to a bunch of coaches and sent emails about myself, and I was just hoping and praying that I would get an opportunity to go to the U.S. and row,” Fookes added.

The opportunity came knocking, and UCF was at the door. The mix of sunshine, the beach and positive conversations with the coaching staff made Fookes determined to become a Knight. In the fall of 2020, Fookes made the 8,029-mile journey from Rotorua to Orlando with excitement to conquer a brand-new world she had never seen.

“I think just rowing-wise, it’s such a cool opportunity to better yourself as an athlete and as an international, just to grow as a person,” Fookes said. “I think from freshman year until now, I’ve learned through experiences like enrolling for the first time and seeing the boat house. Getting the opportunity to travel and experience the U.S. is pretty exciting because it’s definitely a massive country compared to New Zealand. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to race around the U.S. and do things that I never thought I would do five years ago.”

In her time here, Fookes said she doesn’t feel homesick like she thought she would. Being in Orlando and creating a family on Lake Pickett has made the transition easy for her.

“I just love being around my teammates,” Fookes said. “It’s such a special environment to wake up and go row with 50 other people who are all passionate about the same thing as you. To have those people also be some of your best friends off the water. I’ve definitely found my people at UCF.”

As the new era rolls in with new head coach Mara Allen and a new conference, Fookes has set the bar for her team to be on the podium at the Big 12 Championships at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota in May. She believes the team will get there by being intentional.

“Everything matters,” Fookes said. “Showing up for training and working hard matters to the speed of the boat. At the end of the day, just being able to have that mindset gives you an advantage in everything you do.”

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