A couple of Peterborough rowers are making no ordinary trip to Europe this summer.
Adam McNeill, 22, and David Kay, 21, are members of the National Development Team, or Canadian B team, which will compete at the Nation's Cup under-23 world championships in Linz, Austria July 26-29.
McNeill, a Peterborough Collegiate graduate, will be coxswain and David Kay, from Adam Scott, in the fourth seat in the men's heavyweight eights. Canada is also sending a men's lightweight fours crew.
The Canadian contingent, currently training in London, leaves Friday, after a week of training in St. Catharines. They want to get to Europe six days before the competition begins to acclimatize to the country, get over jet lag and get in some pre-event training.
"The main purpose of this event is to get younger athletes some international racing experience before they move up to the next level," said Kay, from his London residence. "We are aiming for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and our goal is to make the A team, possibly next year. This is exciting competing against other countries but it's also a lot of pressure."
The rowers qualified for the development team at time trials about a month ago in London.
"This is the first step," said McNeill, a coxswain for seven years. "The goal is hopefully to be carded, then make the A team. It's exciting and there is a lot of pressure. It's a chance to represent your country, compete against international crews and hopefully be recognized. We just don't want to go over there and compete. We want to do well."
While the Canadian contingent will be there about 10 days, Kay, in Europe for the first time, intends to stay on for about a month to travel. McNeill, who has backpacked through Europe, will return home with the team and may work as a kayak instructor in the Haliburton area for a month.
Kay attained his national card last fall, allowing him to receive his university tuition and a monthly allowance. McNeill has never been carded.
Kay is entering his fourth year of university and third at the University of Victoria, following a year at Trent University. He is majoring in English Literature.
He was part of a B.C. varsity eights team which placed second, four seconds behind the Croatia national team and ahead of the University of Washington, at the Windermere Cup in Seattle, Wash. in April.
He returned to his Peterborough home after that before heading to London, home to the national team program, for most of the summer.
McNeill is entering his fourth year at the University of Western Ontario.
Working on a History degree in the undergraduate program, he will turn his attentions to Media and Information Studies in the fall, aiming for a double degree.
He was coxswain for Western, first in the men's heavy eights at the OUA championships in the fall.
Both Kay and McNeill are registered as members with the Peterborough Rowing Club and have rowed together at the club level and against each other in high school.
They are different in stature. Kay is 6'2", 195 pounds while McNeill is 5'4" and 120 pounds.
"Being a coxswain is a special little job for a little guy," laughed McNeill. "In enjoy it. My job is threefold. It is to help steer by controlling the rudder, facilitate workouts as another coach in the boat and call the race plan and motivate the athletes during a race. I was proud to be selected for this crew."
McNeill and Kay think it's special having two Peterborough rowers on the same crew in Europe.
"It's exciting and nostalgic," said McNeill. "We rowed together and against each other several years ago. It's nice to be together again. I's exciting for both of us and we have had a lot of support."
"It's great having someone else from Peterborough in Europe," added Kay. "Adam and I socialize whenever we can in London. We do a lot together as a team, too."
They train three times and about fours daily, six days a week in London.
They get Sunday off.