At the time, she was one of only two rowers at Wakatipu High School and they won a gold medal in the intermediate double sculls at the South Island championships.
Walker (27) has replaced Dean Horo as the part-time manager for Otago rowing and will start her new job on November 2.
"I'm excited about my new role," Walker said yesterday.
"But I've got big shoes to fill because Dean was so successful in the job."
Horo, who resigned in August, has accepted increased responsibilities at the New Zealand Academy of Sport South Island.
"I love rowing," Walker said.
"It's been a passion of mine since I started."
Walker was not in the elite mould as a competitor but still won medals at New Zealand University Games when she was a geography student at the University of Otago.
It has been as a coach and administrator that she has made her mark on the sport.
This was illustrated when she became head coach and developer of the high school programme at the Wakatipu Rowing Club from 2005-07.
Membership for school rowing remained at a low two or three until Walker returned and developed a rowing culture at the school.
A Wakatipu High School crew won a bronze medal in the boys novice double sculls at the national championships.
Walker also developed her administrative skills at the club and and these came to fruition when she became a research associate at the AgResearch at Invermay and started coaching at the University club two years ago.
She was co-coach with Glen Sinclair of Otago University crews that won six medals - two gold, two silver and two bronze medals - at the New Zealand championships on Lake Karapiro in 2008.
Walker has been manager of New Zealand University crews for the transtasman clashes with Australia for the past four years and is club secretary with the university club.
The Otago job is part-time and Walker will combine this role with her duties as a professional coach with the University club.
