The Dunstan Arm Rowing Club under-20 member won her first gold medal at senior women’s level at the New Zealand championships in February, as part of an Alexandra-based quad coached by Simon Smith.
Ealson (19) has been training hard and working part-time as a librarian at the Central Otago Education Centre since she left Dunstan College at the end of 2021.
She recently learned she was one of just 12 first-year women to win a Yale University rowing scholarship from applicants around the United States and the world.
"I am not entirely sure of my programme but I am thinking of studying ecology and biology," Ealson said.
"I will be doing 20 hours a week on the water, and rowing machines and in the gym, which is more or less what I am doing at the moment."
Ealson rowed in various combinations throughout her years at primary and secondary school, earning many age group titles at Maadi Cup and national championship levels.
"I started rowing in primary school and I had a lot of success with the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club. That led to me wanting to take it a bit further.
"Then I found out I could go to university in the United States on scholarship."
The national senior women’s quad title in February is a career highlight for Ealson, who won it rowing with Ella Price, Pipi Horan and Sophie Smith.
Ealson has also won doubles bronze and silver medals at national level with Dunedin rower Eva Hofmans.
Ealson is in Canberra this week to compete for the first time with the New Zealand under-21 team in a transtasman competition.
She will row in a quad and eight and hopes to also race some sprint and long distance events.
Ealson will then return home to Alexandra to continue saving and training before leaving for Yale in August.
Yale’s rowing venue is on the Housitonic River at New Haven, in Connecticut.
