Eve Macfarlane

Eve Macfarlane started rowing in 2009 at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School and Canterbury Rowing Club in Christchurch. The start of her rowing career was incredible when, as a novice, she won five golds at her first Aon Maadi Cup regatta, including the U18 trifecta of pair, four and eight.

She later represented New Zealand at the 2009 World Rowing Junior Championships and won a silver medal in the women’s eight. In 2010 Eve repeated her Aon Maadi Cup trifecta and was selected in the junior women’s coxless four. The crew went on to win gold at the World Rowing Junior Championships. Eve’s early success didn’t stop there: in 2011 she was selected into the elite women’s quad that not only qualified the boat for the London Olympic Games but also picked up a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia. After a rough Olympic regatta in which the quad placed 7th, Eve moved into the elite women’s eight in 2013. She then took some time away from the sport in 2014 before making a stellar comeback the following year.

Pushing her way into the women’s double sculls in 2015, Eve linked up with Zoe Stevenson. The duo went through the season unbeaten and became world champions in Aiguebelette, qualifying the boat for the Rio Games in the process. They had an agonisingly close finish in the semi-finals in Rio but unfortunately missed out on a spot in the A final, finishing 12th at the regatta. Eve returned from a two-year break from the sport and was selected into the women’s four for the 2019 season.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Eve and the rest of the open coxless quad sculls placed 2nd in the B finals.

She has completed several qualifications including a Diploma in Art and Creativity (Honours), a Certificate in Massage Therapy, a yoga teaching qualification, a solo paragliding licence and is currently studying Permaculture. She has built a 16-square-metre tiny home with her partner Chris and is the co-author of How We Got Happy. Eve loves surfing, paragliding, yoga and creating art.