Clubs in Focus | Shellharbour City Rowing Club

Our club received an email from a lady requesting a visit to our club with her mother and father. She wrote "My dad is a former Olympian who participated in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in rowing representing Italy. His name is Campioto Cosimo and I know he would love to come and see the club and boats. He is suffering dementia and we know he would benefit a great deal from visiting places that remind him of his love and passion for rowing"

We were very honoured to meet with Cosimo his wife and daughter. Cosimo told us his crew came with only one boat to the Olympics and he felt the boat didn't cope well with the windy conditions on Lake Wendouree, Ballarat. His wife showed us an amazing photo album covering his rowing accomplishments. Following the 1956 Olympics Cosimo settled in Australia. He was one of two Italians to settle in Ballarat

We received a thank you email from Cosimo’s daughter and she told us her father could not believe his eyes when he saw so many boats and it was like going into a toy shop he was so happy

Heather Gavin (Secretary)

Cosimo with Shellharbour City Rowing Club President Linda Knox	Cosimo rowing at Ballarat
Italian 1955 crew Cosimo 2nd on left Knox and Secretary Heather Gavin	Training 1955