Over a year on from their wonderful gold-medal performance in the women’s double sculls at the Paris Olympics, Kiwi rowers Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis are still balancing elite sport with motherhood.
Their latest adventure took them to Japan as ambassadors for Mazda, where the inspiring pair – affectionately known as the ‘supermums’ – immersed themselves in the country’s culture, crafts, and cuisine. It was a long-awaited chance to experience the Japan they’d barely glimpsed in 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
“That was such a different trip as you’re there with a sole focus on the Games, but also Tokyo was in complete lockdown,” recalls Brooke. “So, we experienced almost nothing of Japan. What I did remember from last time was how kind and welcoming everyone was, and we also felt the same on this trip. It was such a treat to finally explore the streets, enjoy the food, and really soak up the culture.”
“I left after the Tokyo Olympics knowing I wanted to go back too,” adds Lucy. “This time around it certainly exceeded my expectations and now I want to go back again! It’s amazing how you can be standing under the Tokyo Skytree and then five minutes down the road you’re in a temple built in 645. It’s just such a country of contrasts.”
A standout of the trip was a kintsugi workshop with Master Taku – coincidentally a former rowing champion who has dedicated himself to the intricate art of repairing broken ceramics.
“Athletes put so much time and energy into chasing their goals, and you can see that same passion and focus in the way he approaches kintsugi,” Brooke tells Verve. “It’s like he’s channelled all that drive from rowing straight into his art.”
Lucy says that he made the whole class very easy to follow: “We introduced ourselves to him after the class and talked about rowing and have stayed in touch since. If we ever go back to Tokyo, we’ll be sure to visit him again.”
The philosophy of kintsugi – embracing beauty in imperfection – struck a chord with both women. As Brooke states: “Both rowing and motherhood were perfectly imperfect experiences that pushed us to our limits. Yet in their own ways they also brought out the very best in us.”
Japan’s iconic food culture left big impressions too – though as a vegetarian, Brooke admits that she sometimes found it tricky to navigate: “All the dishes looked and smelt amazing but almost all of them contained meat. I did find amazing ramen in Takeshita Street though, which was a highlight.”
Lucy, however, was in her element: “I don’t think I ate anything that I wasn’t impressed with! The ramen, the sushi, sashimi, okonomiyaki – everything was delicious. I’d be embarrassed to say how many times we went into a 7-Eleven, but every time we came out with something new to try. Chocolate-covered muscat grapes have left an impression on me!”
The chance to travel together without strict training schedules was a luxury that the rowers embraced. “It was such a novelty to get to travel with Lucy and not have to train,” Brooke admits. “Normally training takes up our day and we don’t have time or energy to look around when we travel. In saying that, we still woke up every morning and went for a run before we started the day!”
Lucy found the experience especially meaningful. “So much of our time together is naturally dictated by training and competitions,” she says. “This time it was just us exploring a city we felt we missed out on in 2021. I’ll forever be grateful for that. We also bought home kids’ learning chopsticks for Rupert and Keira, so I’m looking forward to watching them have a sushi date together when they master those!”
As Mazda ambassadors, the rowers were also able to gain a deeper understanding of the brand’s design philosophy thanks to a visit to Mazda Trans Aoyama, an a brand new, state-of-the-art concept showroom in Tokyo.
“Before the trip I thought I understood the craft in Mazda design and products,” Brooke says. “But seeing it with my own eyes gives me another level of appreciation for the care in everything I saw in Japan. There was beautiful detail even in the small and mundane. And seeing the new CX-5, you could see that every detail was thought out and practical as well as beautiful.”
And, of course, there were still some ‘supermum’ moments, too, as Brooke took the opportunity to travel with one of her little ones. “Flynn was such a little legend napping his way around the city,” she beams. “He travelled in the front pack each day and handled all of the travel with ease. Having my husband Jeff and ‘Aunty Lucy’ around as extra pairs of hands made things easier as well!”
