- Harry Mahon
Harry Mahon,
OBE (born inWanganui ,New Zealand , January 15, 1942, died May 19, 2001) was a rowing coach. He coached international crews from New Zealand,Switzerland ,South Africa andGreat Britain to success at World Championships and Olympic Games. He also coached Cambridge University to repeated successes in theBoat Race .Background
Mahon followed his grandfather and uncle into rowing, joining
Wanganui Rowing Club . He also playedcricket and rugby, and toyed with becoming a rugby coach after studyinggeography atVictoria University . He rowed with some success in New Zealand, but was not an international oarsman. [cite web|url=http://hmcrt.org.uk/harry-mahon.html|title=Obituary|publisher=Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust|accessdate=2008-09-22]He was a teacher of geography at
Ridley College ,Canada andRadley College nearOxford ,England .He was diagnosed with
colon cancer in 1997, but continued to coach with some success for four more years, running theLondon marathon twice during that period. After his death in 2001 the Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust was established to raise money for research equipment.Coaching Style
Mahon taught a relaxed style, favouring technique over aggression in his crews. Though reserved off the water, he talked almost constantly to his crews in training, asking them to concentrate on their own feel for the rhythm of the boat. [cite book|title=Olympic Obsession: The Inside Story of Britain's Most Successful Sport|last=Cross|first=Martin|authorlink=Martin Cross|pages=pp. 47-8|isbn=978-1-859-83233-2]
Coaching Titles
* 1977 NZ 4- Silver Medal World Championships
* 1982-1983 NZ 8+ Gold Medal World Championships
* 1982 NZ W1x Bronze Medal World Championships
* 1988 Olympics - Swiss 2X Silver Medal, NZ W2- Bronze Medal,
* 1997 GB 1X Bronze Medal World Championships
* 2000 Olympics GB 8+ Gold Medal, NZ 1X Gold Medal
* 1993-1999 & 2001 Boat Races (Cambridge)Honors
* OBE 1982
* New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame (1982 NZ8+, inducted 1995)
* New Zealander of the Year in Britain 2001.References
External links
* [http://www.total.rowing.org.uk/mahon.html Tribute to Mahon at TotalRowing.com]
* [http://hmcrt.org.uk/index.html Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.