Jackie Gowler
Jackie Gowler began rowing in 2010 at Nga Tawa Diocesan School and Aramaho Wanganui Rowing Club.
After winning the U18 girls’ double at Aon Maadi Cup, she was selected in her first New Zealand team in 2014 as part of the junior women’s coxless four. The crew placed 8th at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Hamburg, Germany. That year Jackie was also selected to attend the Youth Olympic Games regatta in Nanjing, China, where she finished 9th in the women’s pair. She wasted no time in moving up the New Zealand rowing pathway, and after a summer with Central Rowing Performance Centre she was selected in the 2015 U23 Women’s Four that placed 5th at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Jackie again represented New Zealand at the U23 level, her Women’s Eight crew finishing 4th in a nail-biting race just 0.31s from the medals at the 2016 U23 World Rowing Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. From her impressive performances on the world stage and domestically, she earned a spot in the 2016/17 Summer Squad. Jackie was then selected in the reserve Women’s Pair for the 2017 Elite Team, racing at World Cup II and III and then in the Women’s Four at the World Championship in Sarasota, USA.
In 2018, Jackie won her first red coat at the NZ Rowing Championships, winning the Women’s Premier Eight with Central RPC. She then went on to be a member of the Elite Women’s Eight that won Silver at World Rowing Cup II and Gold at World Rowing Cup III. The crew finished 7th at the World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria. In 2019 Jackie moved into the stroke seat of the Women’s Eight. This brought great rewards, with a Gold at the World Rowing Cup III and a win at the Henley Royal regatta. The success in 2018 continued to shine through with a historic, first-ever win for the New Zealand Women’s Eight at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim, Austria.
Jackie had a very successful season in 2021, winning the Women’s Coxless Four with her home club, Aramaho Whanganui Rowing Club, claiming the Dame Four title and earning yet another red coat. Following this success, Jackie then went on to make her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics and came away with a Silver medal as part of the Women's Eight.
However, 2022 was bit different for Jackie. An injury followed by Covid ruled her out of racing for the season. The end of 2022 and the start of 2023 was the bounce back for Jackie, as she went on to win the Women’s Premier Pair with partner, Catherine Layburn at the 2023 NZ Rowing Championships. Jackie has now been named in the 2023 Elite Women’s Sweep Squad. Jackie earned herself a seat in the NZ Elite Women's Coxless Four, a fresh new rowing combination that went on to claim a promising 5th place at the 2023 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Jackie has two sisters, the eldest sister being - Kerri Williams, who competed in the Silver medalling Tokyo Women’s Eight crew with her. They are one of the few sibling duos who have been in the Rowing NZ team over the years. They have won many national titles together also, including the Dame Four (Women’s Coxless Four) in 2021 with Aramaho Whanganui Rowing Club.
Off the water, Jackie is working towards a Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance at the University of Waikato.