Journal Entry
A note before Olympic Trials
April 2024
In 2023, I was invited to the USRowing Selection Camps and raced in a LM2x at World Cup II in Varese, Italy, but did not end up making the National Team for the World Championships while the rest of my TRC HP teammates did. By the end of the summer, I also learned that those teammates, as well as my coach, would not be returning to Texas for a variety of reasons. I still had my goal set on trying to make the Olympic team in 2024, so I vowed to do what I could to take care of myself and let the chips fall as they may. I never could have expected the journey that it took me on — the people I met and the support I received were incredible. This was my note to them at the end of that season, just before I raced Olympic Trials.
Hi All,
Last fall, I was the only athlete to return to TRC for the 2024 season. I turned my focus entirely to making a fast boat with someone for these 2024 Trials, but without teammates and without a head coach, I didn’t know what that would look like or who it would be with yet. This was especially tough because I knew that this was going to be my last year of rowing at this level, whether I made it to the Olympics (or even Trials) or not. Through August and September, I put in the work alone for the most part. Thankfully, soon I was joined by Andrew Mangan and heard from a couple other lightweight men who were interested in training together with the LM2x in mind. Ian Richardson, Timmy Parsons, and Ashton Knight all ended up in Texas over the winter, and we got to work together.
Fast forward to today, and I can say this: these past few months have been some of the best months of training that I’ve had in my 11 years of rowing. That is all thanks to an entire community of people who stepped up: Andrew, Ian, Timmy (and Ashton for a bit!) for being driven, humble, professional, loving, and great people in all the best ways; coaches Mark Borchelt, Linda Muri, Sasha Bailey, and Andrew Hess for pitching in to help us run selection, train effectively, trailer our boats, and row at our best; the TRC community, TRC HP board, and training buddies Matt Knifton and his 4x for making Texas Rowing Center our home; my partner, Sara, all of my friends and family, and my team at work for believing in me and supporting this crazy dream; and COUNTLESS other people who have chipped in with time, energy, money, or a good word to help support this journey.
This year will be my last of training and racing at this level, and I am fully aware that journey could end next Sunday if we don’t win Trials in the LM2x. I certainly hope that won’t be the case, and we get to continue pushing towards the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta and possibly the Olympics. But no matter what happens, I will forever be grateful for this year and proud of what WE accomplished.
Thanks to you all,
Jasper