The unstoppables in Para rowing: Meet Australia’s Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager

Australia’s Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager have been named the 2023 World Rowing Para Crew of the Year after a stunning 2023 season, but they are now heading full force towards this year’s Paralympic Games in Paris.

They started competing together internationally in 2023 thanks to the addition of the PR3 mixed double sculls event at the Games. And they hit it off, because they enjoyed a breakthrough year. Twice they broke the World Best Time – the first time by a full 20 seconds – and then they went on to win at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Ayers and Altschwager have known each other since 2017 when they met during an Australian rowing camp, but it was not until the double effort was announced for Paris 2024 that they truly had the reason to row together.

“As rowers who both qualify for the double, it makes it more fair to compete with athletes with a similar level of impairment,” Ayers said.

Unstoppable duo 

Ayers sustained a traumatic knee dislocation while playing rugby and had only just started rowing when she competed at her first World Championships in 2018. She rowed in the PR3 mixed coxed four, finishing fifth at the World Rowing Championships.

She made her Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020, where she finished fourth in the PR3 mixed coxed four with Alexandra Viney, James Talbot and Thomas Birtwhistle.

Altschwager came to rowing after a workplace injury that resulted in the loss of his left leg.

“I rehabbed for two years then wanted to see how far I could take it. I looked at rowing as a pathway and it went from there,” Altschwager said.

Altschwager raced in the PR3 men’s pair at the 2018 and 2019 World Rowing Championships, finishing with silver both years. With the announcement of the inclusion of the PR3 mixed double sculls on the Paralympic programme at Paris 2024, Ayers and Altschwager had other commitments but they kept in touch.

For 2023, they were completely committed and the results proved they had made the right decision.

“We were both in a situation to give it everything we could,” Altschwager said.

Friendship and support

Ayers says that, with Altschwager, having a friendship away from rowing made the partnership better on the water.

“Getting to row with a mate every day and enjoy the journey was the biggest deciding factor for me (to row the double),” says Ayers. “I know Jed is always putting in 110 per cent each day as he knows I am too.”

Ayers moved to Adelaide to row with Altschwager and she calls it a game-changer.

“This allowed Jed and I to train each day together and build out a bond in the boat while supporting and challenging each other to be the best we know we can be. Having the support (of coaches, sport scientists and biomechanics) in our everyday environment guided our success,” Ayers said.

Altschwager added, “Both our individual preparation and our commitment to each other helped in this year’s success (in 2023), also the support from our coaches and families.”

With less than eight months to go until the Paris 2024 Paralympics, they have a simple answer when asked for their goals in 2024. They are ready to win.