Nicki Plucinski discovered rowing as a teenager in Victoria, Australia. Though “woefully uninformed” going into her first 2k race, Nicki’s effort caught her coach’s attention and that day left a lasting impression. Nearly 30 years later, Nicki has turned that early experience into a mission. She founded Ratio Theory Rowing to give athletes the attention, direction, and information they need to succeed. In this conversation, we explore the rowing lessons that carry into everyday life, the work ethic and mindset behind her coaching, the science that drives her approach, and why self-care is a non-negotiable part of long-term success.

QUICK LOOK

01:04 - Rowing Week on a scale of 1-10: 7 (back on the water after a long hiatus!) 02:15 - The Huddle 05:11 - Hot Seat Q&A 08:46 - Nicki doesn’t remember making a decision to row as a teen, but next thing she knew she was selected for camp 13:04 - Growing up in a sport household 15:25 - Rowing lessons that have carried over into our everyday lives 24:33 - transition to coaching 27:49 - the work ethic, mentality, and science behind her coaching success 33:22 - Ratio Theory Rowing designed to support athletes in big clubs who aren’t getting the coaching or structure they want to reach their goals 36:30 - the importance of self-care: rest, nutrition, time-management, core strength, mobility, warmdowns 48:27 - Nicki’s description of the perfect stroke 49:11 - Steady State Network news and notes

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To see photos of Nicki,  and get links to her socials plus the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

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This episode was made possible in part by RowSource and our Supporters.

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Steady State Podcast is a production of Steady State Network. It is hosted and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering, books show guests, and is our sponsor and donor coordinator. Rachel writes our scripts and e-newsletter, and manages the website and social media. Our theme music is Open Mind by Soundroll.

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