Georgia Nugent-O'Leary
Georgia started rowing in 2012 at the age of 16 with Nga Tawa Diocesan School and Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club. She was very quick to learn the skill of rowing, having one of the most successful novice seasons as an U17, winning novice National titles at the 2013 National Rowing Championships and going onto competing for the U18 North Island Team in the 2013 North vs South regatta. The following year, Georgia had a successful 2014 Maadi regatta winning the Girl's U18 Double (alongside Jackie Gowler - 2021 Olympic Silver Medallist) and silver in the U18 quad, with Georgia going on to be named in the 2014 NZ Junior Women's Quad that competed at the World Champs. Georgia and the crew came away with 6th overall, an impressive result considering this was only Georgia's second season of rowing.
Georgia joined Central RPC in the summer of 2014/15 predominately sculling. She had another successful summer season and was selected to trial for the Under 23 team but decided to go to University to begin her degree full-time. Due to injuries within the team in both campaigns of the Under 21 team, Georgia was called up to race on both sides in the 2015 NZ U21 Rowing Team in sweeping. Georgia and her sweeping crews went undefeated in both series against Australia, with NZ winning the Trans-Tasman competition overall. The Marlborough sun attracted Georgia back to Central RPC for another summer, where she continued sweeping for the season. About 4 weeks into the 2015/2016 season Georgia sustained 2 disc bulges in her back during training which put her on the bike for the majority of the season. After some outstanding performances at the end of the season, Georgia was named in the NZ U23 Women's Eight that competed at the 2016 Junior/U23/Senior World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The crew narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing in 4th place just 0.31sec behind the Russian Bronze medallists.
Things were progressing well for Georgia, as she was named in the 2016/17 NZ Elite Summer Squad. Unfortunately, in the second week of training, Georgia came off her bike during training, broke an arm and cracked her bike helmet in 4 places receiving a concussion that forced an 18-month break from rowing. She came back in 2018 racing for her home club - Aramoho Whanganui. She spent the winter back in Blenheim with Marion Horwell and earned a spot back with Central RPC for the 2018/19 summer season. Georgia won her first Premier National Title at the 2019 NZ National Rowing Championships, winning Gold in the Women's Premier Eight with Central RPC - claiming her first red coat.
Georgia moved back into the 2019/20 NZ Elite Summer Squad and was selected for the NZ Women’s Quad preparing for the Olympics before the Covid lockdown which resulted in the postponement of the Olympics. Georgia continued training in the NZ Elite Rowing Squad, going on to win the Women's Coxless (Dame) Four with Aramoho Wanganui at the 2021 NZ National Rowing Championships. Continued success saw Georgia trial for the Olympic Team again, in which she was named in the NZ Women's Quad (Olivia Loe, Ruby Tew, Eve Macfarlane and Georgia Nugent- O'Leary) that competed at the Tokyo Olympics. With a new crew combination, the crew performed well placing 8th overall at the Olympics.
After having a break Post-Olympics, Georgia joined the 2021/22 NZ Elite Summer Squad, going on to compete overseas again in the 2022 NZ World Cup Team with the Women's Quad (squad). The new crew of Kate Haines, Kristen Froude, Georgia and Stella Clayton-Greene competed at World Cup II in Poznan, Poland. The following week, the tables turned again as Georgia was cycling back from training and was struck with the same injury that set her out of the boat in 2016 – concussion. She has been recovering for about 10 months and is now back rowing, after showing great progression in her recovery - Georgia has been named in the 2023 Elite Women's Sculling Squad, coached by James Coote, and has her sights set on Paris 2024.
Off the water, Georgia completed her Bachelor of Science – majoring in Food Science through Lincoln University at the end of 2022. She enjoys baking, singing, playing cards, and getting home to the farm and her family when she can.