From Corio Bay to the Charles River

Nicole Roache, Marketing & Advancement Manager

Charlie Rahdon’ s (OGC 2022) rowing journey highlights the power of hard work, mentorship, and seizing opportunities.

Charlie’s rowing resumé reads like a highlight reel. In 2023, as an 18-year-old, he powered to victory with the Victorian lightweight four in the prestigious Penrith Cup at the Australian National ChampionshipsVictoria’s first win in the event since 2019.

Now wearing the Harvard crimson, he claimed one of the biggest prizes in American rowing: victory in the Head of the Charles Regatta with Harvard’s varsity lightweight boat.

Not bad for someone who only picked up an oar in Year 10.

While Charlie now trains and studies among the spires of Harvard, his journey began at The Geelong College, where a nudge from friends led him to swap his rotating summer sports for a rowing seat.

“I’d tried something different every year since Year 7 - rowing was basically the last one left,” he laughs. “But I loved the challenge, the discipline it demanded.”

It paid off. After just three seasons, he earned selection for the Victorian Pathways crew, and it became clear that rowing had moved beyond a school sport - it was part of his future.

But when Charlie looked around at his options post-graduation, the Australian university system didn’t offer the kind of elite sporting opportunities he was chasing. In the US, however, college sport is a way of life.

“Sport is baked into the university experience over here,” he explains.

“I knew I wanted to keep rowing at a high level and the US offered the best chance to do that.”

Landing at Harvard meant facing a whole new set of challenges. The Ivy League is not known for taking it easy on its students - add in ten months a year of elite-level training and racing, and the time squeeze becomes very real.

“Balancing rowing and study here is intense,” Charlie admits. “During racing season, you’re on six-hour bus rides to regattas - if you can’t get work done on the bus, and most people can’t, then you have to be smart about your week. I’ve learned to front-load everything, plan properly, and use professors’ office hours. Organisation is everything.”

It’s a workload he was well-prepared for, thanks to his time at The Geelong College. Juggling APS sport and academic demands from Year 7 gave him the tools to thrive in the pressurecooker environment of an Ivy League rowing program.

“The school really taught me how to manage time and stay on top of competing priorities,” he says. “It set me up for success, no question.”

Charlie credits much of his rowing development to the people around him - coaches who shaped both his technique and mindset.

“Jeff Watt taught me how to row. Leigh Hall-Sullivan at Corio Bay took that foundation and pushed me to the next level - mentally and physically,” he says. “That’s where I learned how much grit matters. Talent helps, but rowing rewards sheer determination.”

Despite the intensity of his current life, Charlie reflects fondly on his school days - particularly the strong sense of community that’s hard to replicate in a sprawling university.

“At College, you knew everyone. You’d walk into the House room in the morning and be greeted by name. That’s pretty special,” he says. “University has its own perksfreedom, independence - but I haven’t found that same tight-knit vibe again, especially not the energy of House swimming day.”

Academically, Charlie arrived in the US planning to study Engineering, but the flexibility of the American system has opened his mind to other paths.

“You don’t have to lock in your major straight away, which is great,” he says. “I’m still exploring options.”

Whatever he studies, rowing - and sport in general - will remain part of his life. Whether it’s staying fit, mentoring others, or one day coaching, Charlie knows he won’t be walking away from the sport any time soon.

“It’s hard to imagine life without rowing now. I’ve had great mentors through Corio Bay and elsewhere - I’d love to pay that forward eventually.”

And his advice to current Geelong College students thinking about following a similar path?

“Be of courage,” he says. “The US system has so much to offer, especially if you want to push your sport to the next level while studying. It’s not easy - you’ve got to work hard - but it’s absolutely worth it. The opportunities, the people, the experiences - it’s all been amazing. If you’re willing to take the leap, you’ll open doors you didn’t even know existed.”

From the Barwon River to the Charles, Charlie’s story proves what’s possible when talent, tenacity, and opportunity collide - and shows just how far a rowing start at The Geelong College can take you.