Rowers maintain strict diet during Maadi
Onslow and Saint Kentigern college’s share their Maadi Cup race diets.
Catering for hungry students can be tricky business when it comes to the athletes at the Maadi Regatta who need to watch what they eat.
Onslow College regatta organiser Barbara Mitchell said they need to be careful with the food they provide the lightweight rowers as they are on a strict, low fat diet.
The school had about six caterers helping to provide food for 60 people, including burgers and meat patties for most, but the lightweight rowers were mainly found at the salad bar.
Mitchell said there are people fighting colds so they have been eating oranges for vitamin C.
Onslow students Hamish Ulberg and Cathan Tamarapa both compete in lightweight U18 fours and U18 double events and are not allowed to exceed 72.5kg.
Cathan said it is difficult when dessert time comes around but he has not had any trouble with weigh-in.
The rowers have been on a strict diet for a month now where they eat a healthy meal once every four hours and small snacks in between.
Hamish made light of the diet. “Some people find it hard, but it’s not too hard for me,” he said.
Jan Barker, who is a parent helper from Saint Kentigern College, was one of the two caterers who helped feed the 41 students and seven coaches.
Barker said the students had a pre-race diet which was made up of salad, ham rolls, fruit and lots of water.
Onslow had a budget of about $480 to provide lunch to 60 people and St Kentigern had allocated almost $290 per lunch for 48 people.
