World Rowing is delighted to announce the selection of three women coaches to join the Women in Sport High-Performance Pathway (WISH) Programme – Cohort 6 (2026). Their nomination follows a rigorous application and selection process collaboratively conducted by the respective NOCs, Olympic Solidarity, World Rowing and the WISH Team.
The selected coaches are:
Stephanie Marchand (Canada) – Supported fully by World Rowing
Madalena Ferreira (Portugal) – Supported fully by World Rowing
Denise Walshe (Ireland) – Supported directly by Rowing Ireland
The coaches will join a global community of high-performance coaches committed to elevating women’s representation in elite sport. Their journey officially began today, following the WISH Cohort 6 Launch held on 9 December 2025, where they had the opportunity to meet the full WISH leadership team, connect with their fellow cohort members, and receive an inspiring overview of the 21-month programme.
Preparing for the Journey Ahead
Following the launch, the three coaches will start preparations for the first major milestone of the programme – the Residential Week in the United Kingdom from 1–7 March 2026. In addition, World Rowing is exploring coaching exchange opportunities, either before or after the residential week, to enhance their sport-specific learning experience.
Why WISH Matters
The WISH Programme has become one of the most transformative global pathways for women coaches. Independent evaluation consistently shows significant growth in Competence, Confidence, and Courage, empowering women to excel in high-performance environments.
To date, over 120 coaches from 60 countries have graduated from the programme, many of whom have progressed to national coaching posts, continental championships, Youth World competitions, and even coaching roles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
World Rowing has proudly supported 13 women coaches through previous WISH cohorts – a commitment highlighted in the programme’s International Federation section, which recognises rowing’s strong leadership in championing gender equality in coaching. Developing more women coaches at the highest levels remains a key priority for both World Rowing and the IOC under Gender Equality Objective 15. WISH Cohort 6 represents an important step in strengthening the international pipeline of women ready to lead on the world stage – as performance coaches, technical experts, and role models within their national systems.
World Rowing warmly congratulates Stephanie, Madalena, and Denise on their selection and looks forward to supporting their progress throughout the programme and celebrating the impact they will make within their federations and the global rowing community.
