Row the Rio

About 8 years ago I weighed around 450lbs (~210Kg). 

Today I weigh 220lbs.

With your help, next summer I hope to row for Puerto Rico in the Olympics. I will be 45 years old.

It has been a long and incredible journey…..

 

My Story

Not sure it was any one thing that motivated me to start on a healthier journey. It was probably a multitude of smaller things. As a side effect of changing my habits and being better at watching my diet and trying to maintain a disciplined workout regimen, I have learned some great things about myself and I have been able to return to competitive rowing, a sport I gave up in my teens! This led to encouraging my two oldest kids to take up the sport.  It has just been amazing to watch them compete effectively in the sport.



In 2009 I decided to compete in the Atlanta Erg Sprints (a competition on rowing machines that measure your ability to apply power to the rowing motion).  Having been out of the sport for 20 years and having spent most of that time not able to fit in a boat, nobody was more surprised than I was at winning the event for 30-39year old men. The following couple of years I entered more similar events, and saw my speed increasing year over year.  At Mid-Atlantic Erg sprints in Virginia, Phil Hoyle (one of the guys I raced against that day) invited me to be in his crew in a double scull (2 man boat) at Head of the Occoquan. The Occoquan is the same body of water where I had so many races as a youth, so I accepted his invitation. Phil and I came in middle of the pack in that race, but racing back on the water felt tremendous. I was back. I could compete. The sense of achievement was overwhelming. I was born in Puerto Rico and spent just my first 7 months of life there! However, Puerto Rico invited me to row with their national team and I represented them at the World Championships in 2013 (though I suffered an injury before I could race). Now I hope to compete in the Rio Olympics as a 44 year old!



Inspiring my Family

Some of the happiest memories I have made this past year have involved rowing.  My son and I have had the opportunity race in a double scull together in a few regattas.  I can’t help thinking how impossible it would have been to imagine eight years ago that I would ever be racing with him in a rowing regatta. I could have died. I could have missed out on all this life and adventure and family. Instead, I am here, I am fit and I am inspiring my family to better themselves.


My daughter who was new to the sport travelled with her youth rowing team (the St. Andrew Rowing Club) to many of the same venues.  On a few occasions the youth races were scheduled to run at the times when Juan and I would be rowing up to the start line.  It was just so exciting to watch my little girl's race from a boat in the same river.  Last year I flew with her to Boston and just about fell out of my seat as my little Isabel became the youngest woman to ever win a first place medal at the World indoor rowing championships.

Finding a way to train 4-6 hours/day which holding a full time job and raising 5 children is a challenge. We have been able to go to some wonderful places and shared some incredible experiences, but the costs are just too high and we are struggling to make this next part of the journey happen. With help, we can get there together and compete. My revival and return to rowing has been life-saving and now my little girl is well placed to become a truly great rower. She can inspire others to push themselves. And best of all? She loves it! And that is the greatest gift of all.

Road to Rio 2016

In March 2016, the Latin American Olympic qualifiers are being held in Chile.  Each team will be able to send one boat to represent their country.  Out of the qualifiers, the top 6 boats will win a spot in Rio.

 

Before that, in February, Puerto Rico will be holding a regatta to decide who will be representing them in Chile.  

This is not a pipe dream. I have been invited to compete and I expect to be in that boat. IF I can make it to Puerto Rico and then Chile.

What I need help with

There is no easy way to say it. I need help. The costs involved in trying to complete my dream with my kids are just too much to bare. But I cannot give up now. I have to keep trying to make this happen. Here are the expenses I expect to have:

 

Expense
Cost
Airfare to different races and regattas:  $5,000
Lodging: $2,000
Backup Single:  $3000.
 
Oars (Kind of essential!)
$1,000
Boat Electronics
$1,000
Uniforms (We have to pay for our own!)
$300
 
$12,300
 

 

Why am I doing this

 

As soon as I got off the water in the double race with Phil in 2012, I was recruited to fill a seat in an eight man boat.  That boat was full of first time rowers.  We were rowing up to the start and nobody was together, balance was off, and I was getting splashed in the face with every stroke.  I was busy being miserable when suddenly it occurred to me how truly blessed I was to be sitting and rowing, something that seemed like an impossible dream just a short while before.  From that second, I enjoyed every last second of that race.

 

I reflect on that moment often, and have decided that this gift of being able to get in a boat and row competitively again is not something that should be wasted, but I should do everything I can to make the most of this gift.  That is why I have decided to do all I can to take this rowing thing as far as I can take it.