Mags Cremen believe that the culture within Irish rowing is getting back to where it should be, following controversy about welfare in the lead up to the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games.
Representatives of Rowing Ireland were called before an Oireachtas hearing in January, following a series of Sunday Independent articles on athlete welfare within Rowing Ireland's high performance unit.
Former Olympians Monika Dukarska and Sanita Puspure, spoke of their experiences in the system during an Oireachtas private session.
In July 2024 Sport Ireland cut funding to Rowing Ireland because of concerns within the body. Rowing Ireland subsequently conducted an independent review and implemented changes.
For two-time Olympian Cremen, it has already yielded positive results. As she builds towards the LA Olympics in 2028, the Cork women feels that Rowing Ireland is in a better place,
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, she said: "It definitely was a challenging time, and there has been a lot of positive changes that have happened over the last while. But for me, it's an organisation that has given me so much.
"I feel so lucky to be in my third Olympic cycle under Dominic Casey, who truly is one of a kind and has an amazing team of coaches and staff by his side.
"This season, we've a new physiologist, Lorenz [Kissling] from New Zealand, who has been an incredible addition to our squad. He has such an innovative approach to training and such great ideas all the time, which makes us so excited about training and racing, which we've all benefited hugely from.
"We also have incredible support staff from Sport Ireland, some that I've been working with for the past eight years or so.
"What matters the most to us as athletes is that all of these support staff and coaches see us as people first and athletes second. We're all grateful to have their support on our journey every day."
Cremen's journey towards her third consecutive Olympic Games gets underway in earnest at the World Cup I event in Seville at the end this month.
The competition marks the first senior international test of the season for many of Ireland's rowers as crews continue preparations towards a busy summer racing programme.
Cremen will link up with Tralee Rowing Club’s Zoe Hyde in the Women’s Double Scull 1 and she’s already targeting the LA Olympics.
She explained: "I'm in the women's double with Zoe Hyde for the Seville World Cup, which I'm really excited about. We've had a solid few months of training over the winter and we've both seen lots of PBs.
"We're excited to finally be able to execute our hard work and punch through and test ourselves against the other crews from around the world.
"The plan this year is two World Cups and the World Championships in Amsterdam in September. That will really give the whole team a chance to test yourselves before a qualification next year for LA.
"I think as a whole, our squad has come on so much this season over the winter, so it's really exciting heading into this season."
