​Vicki Taggart is breaking the mould of senior sports officials.

Just turned 22, Taggart was the youngest fully-fledged official on duty at the Aon Maadi Cup regatta, which ended at Lake Ruatahiwha over the weekend.

Throw away the preconceived ideas of what sports officials look like, age for a start.

It wasn’t long ago that Taggart, who grew up in Pleasant Point near Timaru, was a rower herself.

That was until she tore her ACL joint in year 12 at Craighead Diocesan. Now while she won’t say never, she accepts she’s unlikely to spend much more time in a boat.

‘’It probably won’t happen, but I would love one day to get back in, a bit of fun, maybe Masters rowing,’’ she said.

Taggart is teaching year five and six children as Isleworth primary school and works at St Margaret’s College as year 11-12 boarding supervisor.

She was offered a coaching opportunity at Craighead for this year and found herself in the unusual position of coaching her former crewmates.

‘’At times it was quite interesting, but it gave me great experience and I loved every minute,’’ she added.

Tagger became a fully qualified official at the South Island secondary schools’ event at Lake Ruataniwha in early March, sitting her exams and ‘’finally got the jacket’’.

As for how long Taggart anticipates being one of the officials’ team at the country’s major regattas, she made it clear this isn’t a passing whim.

‘’Till I can,’’ she said of her long-term plans.