Annabel Ritchie

Annabel (Bels) Ritchie (born 1978) is a retired rower. She began her rowing career at Rangi Ruru Girls' High School in Christchurch New Zealand, where in 3 years of high school rowing, her and crew member Emily Ross won 10 New Zealand school titles, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals).

Biography
Richie was born in Geraldine, New Zealand). She competed in the New Zealand U19 rowing team in 1995 against Australia. In 1996 Ritchie and Emily Ross combined with high school rivals Rose Wallace and Stacy Worsnop to make a the U19 coxless four to compete at the Junior World Championships, Scotland, where the crew won a bronze medal. The NZ team also featured the Evers-Swindell twins in the double sculls (who went on to win 2 Olympic gold medals).

After leaving the sport in 1997, Ritchie returned to the sport and was in the NZ Elite women's 8 oar crew that competed at the rowing world championships in 1998 and 1999 (as stroke in 1998, number 7 in 1999). The crew contained Athens and Beijing Olympians Caroline Evers-Swindell, Georgina Evers-Swindell and Nicola Coles.

Ritchie moved to Seattle, Washington and took up a rowing scholarship at the University of Washington in 2000. Ritchie was bow seat of the Huskie Varsity 8 that beat the Romanian national team at the Windermere Cup and won the Pac-10 championships and the NCAA championships in the Varsity 8 and also seal the Team title for the University of Washington at the NCAA Championships. Ritchie was also named Newcomer of the Year in 2001.

In 2002, Ritchie helped lead the crew to a gold medal at Pac-10 Championships and wins at Windermere Cup, Cal, Wisconsin and Washington State. The crew remained undefeated during 2002, and held onto the NCAA Championship title. Whilst at the University of Washington, Ritchie lived and competed with USA Olympic medalists Mary Whipple anna's Anna Mickelson.

Ritchie graduated the University of Washington in 2002 with a Bachelor of Economics.

Life after rowing
Ritchie returned to NZ in 2003 and studied Law at Victoria University of Wellington.

She currently resides in Queenstown, and works as an Environmental Lawyer at Andersons Lloyd. Where she and fellow lawyer Katy Baxter started a networking group for young professionals in Queenstown.