Neville Maxwell is an Irish Olympic rower and a World Championship silver medallist. He rows for the Neptune Club in Dublin and is, this year, preparing for the World Championships in Cologne, Germany, and for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Club: Neptune
Membership: We've a senior membership of about 120 male and female rowers which, over time and with the current number of engagements, may lead to an increase in our junior membership, which is approximately 30 boys and girls. The club is run on a voluntary basis, with a lot of hard work from a coaching and organisation team.
Status: Ranging from junior boys and girls up to senior men and woman. Local schools feed the junior system, while the senior panels are made up of the influx of people who move to work in Dublin from provincial towns.
Honours: We are currently the strongest club in the Irish rowing system and continue to set the standard for other clubs to follow.
Finest Hour: Winning 11 national rowing titles at the 1997 Irish rowing championships, an unparalleled achievement in the sport. Personally, my finest hour was qualifying for the final at the Olympic games in Atlanta.
Worst Hour: Losing the national senior eights title in 1991. A fantastic season at home and abroad culminated in defeat at the last hurdle. It resulted, however, in a club revival which peaked in 1997.
Club Hero: Very difficult to chose any individual. But anyone involved in coaching juniors needs the patience of a saint. God will definitely reward those people.
Greatest Rivals: This varies from season to season. However, one will always be sure of a tough race from Trinity and St Michael's of Limerick. Internationally, Italy and Denmark are always extremely strong.
