EMILY Carey boasts a perfect smile these days but she might be glad it was not always that way.

Noticing how tall his teenage patient was, Carey's orthodontist convinced her to give rowing a try and she has not looked back since, pushing her way into the elite ranks in only two years.

The Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Rowing Club member won gold in the under-17 double scull with Brisbane's Pippa Robinson.

The pair also combined with Trinity Lutheran College rowers Rosalind Cartmill and Daisy Strubberfield to take bronze in the quad four.

"In a year, (coach) Gary Annand and Emily have gone from nowhere to one of the best in the country," Carey's father Malcolm said.

"It's only going to get better from now on depending (on how much work she puts in). She has the ability and hunger for it."

Carey's advice from her orthodontist coincided with a school visit from Olympic gold medallist Duncan Free, who sparked an interest in rowing from the then-Aussie rules player.

Carey was one of several Gold Coast rowers to dominate at the national titles in Adelaide recently.

Free was among them with a win in the men's four and fourth place in the King's Cup open eight with the Queensland crew.

Somerset College's Henry Leef won gold in the under-17 men's single scull and teamed with Xavier Power to take silver in the double scull.

Regan Spark was among the successful crew in the under-19 women's eight and Khaney Lakaev, who rows for Toowong/Commercial in Brisbane, took gold with the under-23 men's four and bronze in the under-23 men's pair.

Cartmill added a single scull bronze to her medal in the quad four, while Georgie Leake was third in the open women's quad four.

Pippa Robinson, and  Emily Carey with (coach) Gary Annand 

Congratulations to Steve Herriott Winner of the Boat Naming Raffle.