Three years after first putting oar to water, Balmain Rowing Club’s James Waldersee has come back with a silver medal from this year’s Australian Youth Cup championships.

Representing NSW for the first time, the 18-year-old university student was part of the men’s coxed eight that came second at the eight-team competition for young rowers held earlier this month at Penrith Lakes.

The only rower to hail from the Balmain club, Waldersee was a member of a NSW team that came overall second in the standings behind runaway winners, New Zealand.

The Blues also took the honour of pipping last year’s champions and perennial rivals Queensland by one point.

“My earliest memory of rowing is my Year 6 teacher raving on about how enjoyable it was,” he said.

It was only by chance that Waldersee even ended up rowing for Balmain.

The club was the only one in the area at the time with a spot in its Learn to Row program.

Having started an engineering degree this year, Waldersee still manages to train five days a week on the water.

“I’m a bit obsessed,” he said.

“When you get it right, it’s very rewarding and I’m hooked on it.”

Not being blessed with the greatest co-ordination or sporting prowess, I was a tad anxious when Balmain Rowing Club invited me to take part in its Learn to Row program last month.

Surely this is only a sport for really accomplished athletes?

It took about half an hour out on the water one rainy Sunday morning to realise how wrong I was.

Yes, rowers are passionate, fit, and co-ordinated, but at Learn to Row, with patient teaching, anyone can do it.

For my first row I was placed in a quad with fellow learners Hamina and Lisa, with experienced rower and volunteer Katrina.

Club vice-president Liam James, our teacher, jumped in his tinnie and was with us the whole way.

Terror and awkwardness were quickly replaced by sheer enjoyment. We learned to co-ordinate our strokes and to balance the boat. This is more tricky than I thought. I struggled at first, but then started to get it.

James was amazingly patient and supportive. We laughed like mad women when we stopped flailing around and gained control. We were even gliding across the water and made it to the Iron Cove Bridge.

A few of the first-timers said they started rowing for relaxation. I understand why now.

Out on the water, concentrating on the rhythm of the strokes, far away from the shore, it’s a form of meditation. Quite simply a stunning experience.

Others said they started for fitness, preferring the outdoors to a stuffy gym. After 90 minutes I was surprised at how much we had picked up. By then it was raining and cold but we didn’t want to head back in: we were hooked.

Balmain Rowing Club is one of the very few clubs who train new rowers, no experience required. Volunteers give their time to pass on the skills because they love the sport and their club.

The Learn to Row program runs for nine weeks and operates twice a year.

For details, check out www.balmainrowingclub.com