Vero Beach Rowing kept up the pace throughout the pandemic, never letting it keep their rowers from powering toward the finish line.
Most recently, co-captains Zadie Diniz and Liliana Elliott earned a gold medal at the U.S. Rowing Southeast Region Youth Rowing Championships in Oak Ridge, Tenn. A few weeks later, the pair of 15-year-olds, who had just finished their freshman year at Vero Beach High School, finished seventh overall in the 2,000-meter U17 double event at the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota.
“This was a fabulous showing for a year of being hunkered down, distanced, and put in boats that weren’t team boats. They hadn’t been rowing together, and they didn’t have their blade work together,” said Shotsi Lajoie, VBR president. “The kids did well. They developed themselves through COVID. They stuck to it.”
Additionally, Indian River Charter High School graduate Joshua Navarro received a collegiate rowing scholarship from Florida Institute of Technology, and Vero Beach High School graduate Nick O’Neill was offered one from La Salle University.
COVID-19 reached our shores shortly after the nonprofit celebrated the opening of its Toffey Rowing Center, but even during the stay-at-home order, there was no rest for the rowers. Not wanting crew members to become couch potatoes, Brian Colgan, VBR director of rowing, sent them home with ergometers, aka “ergs,” which measure physical exercise.
“For the first three months after the shutdown, I posted suggested workouts, including erging, running, biking and cross-training. We had team meetings on Zoom and set goals,” recalled Colgan.
The VBR team participated in the Concept2 World Erg Challenge and, despite entering the competition late, were named one of the top 10 clubs in Florida for total meters. They also put several wins under their belts as participants in the virtual Southeast Regional Erg Regatta.
“The creative pieces that happened with the coaching staff to keep these kids engaged until they could get them back out on the water again last year was amazing,” said Lajoie.
Rowers returned to the water in June 2020, just in time for the summer camps. To keep them safe, VBR more than doubled the number of single boats, enabling them to row as singles rather than as doubles, quads or eights.
Colgan said the silver lining in rowing as a single was that it more clearly demonstrated to them the technical abilities needed to move the boat.
“Our novices are looking better than any novice team we’ve ever had, just because they started out rowing in singles and got a better grasp of basics,” said Colgan.
“In a single, you can hone what you need to do technically, so you can figure out what you can do better. So when you go into those big boats, you really know how to row,” said Navarro in agreement.
“Focusing on technique instead of trying to force it is really important in this sport. We try and make our strokes as efficient as possible, and it’s paid off,” added Diniz.
They have since returned to regular use of their full contingent of boats.
As of Aug. 1, Paul Mokha will take over as director of rowing, replacing Colgan, who is retiring after having led the club for the past three years. During his tenure, the state-of-the-art boathouse was constructed, the VBR fleet has more than doubled in size, and VBR junior teams have won state, regional and championship medals.
Mokha was a coxswain for the U.S. National Team, competing three times at the World Championships, and has a storied 30-year career as an international and elite rowing coach.
VBR has grown to encompass middle and high school students who attend public and private schools or who are home schooled. Teams follow the credo: “Row good, row fast, row hard, and you’ll succeed.”
They represent students throughout the county with the exception of Sebastian River High School, the first rowing team in the county, which has maintained its own independent, award-winning scholastic team.
VBR is also open to adult rowers of all levels, including novices. Memberships include full use of the facilities and equipment on a year-round basis.
For more information, visit verobeachrowing.org.
Photos by Kaila Jones and provided
