It’s not everyday you break an Australian or world record.
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But for Peta Robinson, it’s something that’s becoming a bit of a habit.
The former Highlander recently broke the world record in the 60-69 year old category for Concept 2 Indoor Rowing over 100m.
After moving to Queensland last year, Robinson started training at Mt Warren Park Jetts Gym.
She first set the Australian record with a time of 18.9 seconds and then went on to set a world record with a time of 18.5 seconds.
And then on November 21, she beat that time again, posting a time of 18.4 seconds which gym owner Matt Mulholland said they would be submitting to concept 2 in the USA for verification.
He said this would make Peta a three-time Australian record holder and two-time world record holder.
When she first joined the gym, Peta simply wanted to lose weight and had no aspirations to become a world record holder.
“I’m still getting my head around it,” she said.
Taking part in a rowing challenge for members of the gym, Peta said her main focus was to beat one of the personal trainers.
“I beat the personal trainer and that was what excited me,” she said.
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Peta said they decided to look at the Pan Pacific record “out of the blue” and discovered she had beaten that, along with the Australian record.
At that point she was 0.3 seconds off the world record and “just went for it”.
Peta said she initially joined the gym to lose weight and needed “help and motivation”.
“I’d never really sat on a rower before Matt put me on one,” she said.
“[Now] I’ve lost weight as well and I feel 30 years younger.”
And while she has already achieved so much in a short space of time, Peta isn’t ready to stop there.
She already has plans to tackle a 500m row and said she would also look at doing a 1km and 2km row as well.
Before moving up north, Peta lived in the Highlands for close to 20 years, working at Harper Collins in Moss Vale.
“I still visit Bowral sometimes. [But] I just felt like I needed a change and I haven’t looked back. I just love it up here.”
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