The International Paralympic Committee met in April this year to decide on important issues at hand. One of those issues was the inclusion of rowing as a Paralympic sport. I was so happy and excited when I learned that rowing had finally become part of the games that I love—the Paralympics.

Every two years, I attend the Paralympic Games. I’ve covered the games for youth inMotion since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake. I can’t wait to have the opportunity to write about the first time that Paralympic rowing takes place. I expect it to be a rush.

By now, you might be asking, “What is this obsession with rowing that Michael seems to have?” Well, I’ll tell you: it’s a total body workout. Two years ago, I joined a rowing team called OARS. Within weeks, I became obsessed with the sport and also became a slimmer Michael. Once we started competing with other teams, I became addicted. Winning at such a sport, knowing that your hard work (emphasis on hard) has finally paid off is a great feeling.

I decided to get in touch with Morgan, another rower, to get her perspective and make sure it wasn’t just me; she made the Varsity boat in her first year of rowing, so she is definitely qualified. In Morgan’s case, however, she didn’t become a lighter version of herself like I did; she actually gained weight. This didn’t turn Morgan away from the sport. Most girls are turned off by this, but she still looks great; she’s just gained more muscle. She doesn’t mind the muscle, adding that she likes the fact that the sport gets you into shape.

Morgan brought another point to mind that I hadn’t really thought of: academics. With this great commitment, we don’t have as much time as other students to complete homework and reports. But in spite of that, we do complete our homework and reports and are both on our school’s Honor Roll. In fact, rowing actually benefits our studies. It teaches you time management, which comes in handy. Plus, whenever you don’t understand something for school, there is always someone to help you. 

Another benefit of rowing is the people that you meet. We spend an average of twenty hours a week together, so we really get to know one another. It’s great! But don’t take my word for it, or Morgan’s, for that matter; try it out for yourself! I hope you’ll love it as much as I do! And I hope that you’ll decide to contribute to YAZ with your own experiences.

Women's Varsity 4 Race.	Women's Varsity 8 Race.
From Top Left: Ryan Pannone, Brandon Horak, Michael Smith, Michael Finnel, Ryan Brinson, Michael Carroll, Gio Gonzalez, Richard Day and Chris Boone