VIS rower Kim Brennan (Nee Crow) became a leading figure for Australia in the Olympic rowing regatta at Eton Dorney in the London 2012 Games. Crow collected a bronze in the women’s single scull and silver in the women’s double scull with crew mate Brooke Pratley. The bronze was the first Olympic medal won by an Australian in the women’s single scull, and Kim tell us how she managed to break it!
"I had a little incident involving a slab of pavement and some clumsy handiwork! However, in retrospect, I wish I had come up with some awesome story about using it to play frisbee with Usain Bolt and the Queen, but I wasn’t that clever!
It has also been drawn to my attention, ex post facto, that the medals come with care instructions that specifically command the avoidance of ‘any sort of impact or abrasion.’ In future I will take care to read the care instructions and intentionally avoid accidentally impacting my medal on the ground, particularly since (another fascinating fact) the circular shape of the medal is ‘a metaphor for the world.’ I HAVE BROKEN THE WORLD!!! I have wondered if I can weld the world back together – which would be cool!
Anyway, I now have a bronze drink coaster and a silver medal. Ironically, I think I am the only person on this planet who is NOT concerned about this. Sure, the medal probably is a wee bit more functional when it can be worn, but to be honest, the memories I have of crossing the finish line in both of my Olympic finals are so wonderfully overwhelmingly special that no amount of medal can compensate.
I love the medals for the excitement they bring – the smiles on the faces of kids and adults alike as they touch or see a medal for the first time - but my own reward is the memory. Of some really special fulfilling racing, and a wonderful journey.”
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Image: Brennan shows off her broken bronze medal.
