Stuart Reside is one of Western Australia's and Australias best rowers having competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and stroked the 1999 WA Kings Cup crew to victory.  His career began with Nick Garratt at ECU Perth and includes an impressive list of acheivements.

Q: You are having a year off after the Olympics, what do you have planned?
A:Uni is the biggest aim for me now. For me rowing and uni didn’t mix too well so this is a good opportunity to make some fast progress into my degree.

Q: Were the Olympics all you expected they would be and which parts surpassed your expectations?
A: The Olympics was a fantastic experience, and one that I will never forget. To race in front of 30,000 people and have such great support from the WA mob in the stands was just incredible. In terms of which parts surpassed my expectations I would have to say the opening ceremony. Walking into a stadium of 120,000 people was the most hair raising experience of my life. I was so over awed by the atmosphere that I was just yelling and totally freaking out. It was cool!

Q: There were reportedly 10000 condoms at the Olympic Village how many did you use?
A: Ask Mo that one

Q: What was the experience of racing at the Olympics like compared to other regattas?
A: About a thousand times more nerve racking. The crowd up at the start were going crazy even while we were rowing into the start. The fear of failure in a situation like that is so strong that you feel like you are going to suffocate. This was especially the case in the heat and semi.

Q: Rowing finished in the first week did you see any other events?
A: Kathy Freeman’s 400m final; Women’s Hockey final; Hungary vs Yugoslavia Water Polo (very rough); Women’s Basketball; some others I cant remember.

Q: Since you have been back does the pickup line "Hey my name is Stuart and I rowed at the Olympics" work at bars around Perth and how does it compare to "Hey my name is Stuart I won the Kings Cup" ?
A: Nothing seems to work for me. Not that I am trying Mo.

Q: Did it work at the Bars around Oxford Street in Sydney?
A: For sure, especially when Kenny was with me. He was like a magnet!

Q: Going back a year to 1999 you were part of WA's winning Kings Cup, can you go through the race as you remember it?
A: I only remember small parts of it. After the start I remember thinking ‘holy shit we are in front’. At the thousand I was still thinking this as well as ‘if we lose from here then I will be really pissed off’. With about 200m left to go I was just praying we could hang on and that nobody would catch a crab. After the race I just remember hugging Rob, and Kenny saying "We just won the fu…ing Kings Cup"!

Q: Do you prefer sweep or sculling and what is a bad habit you have in each?
A: I like them both. No bad habits.

Q: Nick Garratt has been a big influence in your career, what sticks most in your mind about Nick?
A: How pissed off he used to get with Jono and I for forgetting our training gear. Also how we would argue a lot. He’s a top bloke though.

Q: What do you consider some of your greatest milestones?
A: Winning World Jnr single, Winning Kings Cup, Olympics, Wild Dog Eight Legacy

Q: I have seen you out coaching at Aquinas, Penrhos and for ECU, how do you like coaching?
A: It’s good fun most of the time. Losing sucks just as much when you are a coach but there is no lactate which is nice.

Q: How are the ECU MO8 shaping up, and do you think you have a chance?
A: Do I think we have a chance? What sort of question is that. I’m gonna tell the boys you asked that, there gonna be pissed Clark. We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t think we could win. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Q: What advice can you give to all the budding little "Stewies" out there?
A: Only Row if you have fun. If not, do something else that is easier and there is more money.

Q: Since you have been on TV and are famous has your crazed fan base increased?
A: Nah mate. No crazed fan base to speak of.

Q: Someone somewhere may have said "Stuart Reside is the greatest man alive" how do you respond to that kind of praise?
A: Not sure. Can’t think of anything really. I guess it is better than, someone may have said ‘Stuart Reside is the biggest Dick Head alive’. I’d be spewing if someone said that. Or even worse ‘Stuart Reside is the worst friend to have’ (I have heard this said about people).

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