He was a four time national champion, represented at the 1978 and the 1979 World Rowing Championships[1] and competed in the men's eight event at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
[3] The 1974 Melbourne Grammar eight won the national schoolboy eight title at that year's Australian Rowing Championships.
[3] Withers made his Australian representative debut in 1978 when selected in the coxed four to race at the 1978 World Rowing Championships on Lake Karapiro.
An injury during the campaign to Rob Lang resulted in the squad's selected sculler Ted Hale stepping into the five seat of the eight.
[6] For the 1980 Moscow Olympics the new Australian Director of Coaching Reinhold Batschi utilised small boating racing criteria and selected an eight with rowers from three states including Withers in the five seat.