Woman's Day
Double Olympic champion and beloved Kiwi athlete Eric Murray has revealed to Woman’s Day magazine that he is retiring from rowing.
Eric – who along with partner Hamish Bond formed New Zealand’s most successful rowing team ‘The Kiwi Pair’ – has decided to call it quits after an incredible 69 unbeaten races, telling Woman’s Day exclusively that he’s now focussing on his family- wife Jackie and five-year-old son Zac.
Explains Eric, “I always said as long as my mind, my body and my heart were in it, then I could do this for as long as I like. My mind’s been pretty good, my body’s been pretty good, but it was my heart that was on the fence. So, it’s time to go.”
Eric and Hamish pictured after winning the gold medal in the Men’s Pair Final A at the Rio Olympics. Photo: Getty
The fact that he’d also lost “the buzz” from winning also contributed to the decision, which he and Jackie agonised over for seven months.
“The last few years have been difficult,” he tells.
“[Hamish and I] made a legacy in the sport and we got to the point where we were always winning, but it was playing on our minds and wearing us down. When we won a race, it was like, job done. We didn’t get that elation anymore. Everyone expected us to win, so when we won, we just met the expectation.”
For more on Eric’s tough choice to retire, including his plans for the future and how Jackie has helped him through his darkest days, see this week’s issue of Woman’s Day, out now.
