The row must go on: How the Ateneo Rowing Team competed internationally during lockdown

Not even a pandemic could stop the Ateneo Rowing Team from rowing their way to four podium place finishes and five world championship qualifications.

The COVID-19 pandemic has — and continues to — put the world at a standstill. As everyone rushes to normalcy, many facets of society are still far from normal, including the world of sports. Athletes and student-athletes have their careers on hold as various tournaments and competitions are either cancelled or postponed due to quarantine ramifications. One does not need to look far to find an example of this with the upcoming 83rd season of the UAAP cancelled by the league last December.

Despite the implications of lockdown on sports, one Ateneo team was able to remain active and competitive in their particular sport: the Ateneo Rowing Team (ART). The team competed in multiple events in the Asian Continental Qualifiers of the 2021 World Indoor Rowing Championships, which occurred last January 24. Unlike their traditional competitions, the student-athletes did not have their rowing oars and were not tested by gushing seawater for the qualifier; an indoor rowing machine within their own homes or gyms along with web cameras fixed on the athletes were used to participate in the competition.

ART represented the country in multiple events in the qualifiers, bagging four podium place finishes and five world championship qualifications. Shaina To finished third in the Under-23 Women’s event, while Wylene Lu, Alyssa Go, and Kyra Sandejas filled the three podium spots in the Under-23 Women’s Lightweight race after finishing first, second, and third, respectively. Lu’s race win earned her an automatic qualification spot for this year’s World Indoor Rowing Championships. The rest of the qualifications for the world tournament were obtained through the Open Qualification pathway, with four Atenean rowers (Go, Sandejas, Mireille Qua for Under-23 Women’s and Joachim de Jesus for Under-23 Men’s Lightweight) accomplishing eligibility to participate.

The Blue Eagle rowers themselves were initially surprised after being notified of the team’s involvement in the qualifiers. “We were only informed about the competition over the holiday break, so we had roughly three weeks to prepare for the competition,” said EJ Obaña, a third-year BS Legal Management student who participated in the Under-23 Men’s Lightweight race. He added that due to 2020 being the year of pandemic restrictions, they were not anticipating joining competitions anytime soon, causing the surprised reaction.

The online setup of the qualifiers presented a holistically unique experience for the rowers of ART. Due to the tight time frame, the team had to train twice a day for six days every week, with training sessions virtually organized through Zoom calls. Fortunately for the student-athletes, team training and the event were held during semestral break. “We didn’t have problems balancing sports and academics,” said Obaña.

In light of the distinctive, virtual nature of the competition, rowers had to adjust their personal preparations with the absence of particular factors in the new setting. “Aside from really working hard to become stronger and faster,” said Obaña, “we had to work on discipline knowing that our teammates wouldn’t be at our backs pushing us and motivating us when we got tired.” Although his teammates were able to provide support by being connected through online calls, Obaña added that physically being together with the team in competitions is still preferable as he looks forward to a return to normalcy and participation in traditional rowing competitions.

Despite this preference, the junior rower appreciated how the unique setup allowed competitors from different parts of the world to be connected, making the event more challenging by facing new competition. “Overall, it was a unique experience that I would gladly join again soon,” said Obaña. “I would love to go back in a more competitive position, again representing ADMU, and of course, the country.”

Photos courtesy of the Ateneo Rowing Team