It’s a great feeling to achieve a goal you’ve worked towards.

Just ask Sophia Cross.

The Bunbury teenager has recently returned from competing at the 2023 Australian National Rowing Championships – an accomplishment that was a year in the making.

The training along with the trust Cross put in the process paid off – and the South West Academy of Sport Athlete walked away from the event at Champion Lakes Regatta Centre with a medal haul.

The 16-year-old earned bronze for U17 single scull, gold in U17 double scull and silver in U17 quad scull.

“It was really exciting,” Cross said.

“I didn’t really go in with any expectations, so to be able to come away with such amazing results, I’m really grateful.

“Just to see Olympians walking around and be surrounded by such an amazing competitive atmosphere, I thought was really cool.”

Cross, who has only been rowing for about a year-and-a-half and is part of the WA team, said she was able to use the Championships to see how she measured up against the competition.

“It was really good to see where I stand now in Australia,” Cross said.