|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Olivia Petri was only a seventh grader when she joined the Redwood Scullers, a rowing club in Redwood City.
The 45-member sculling club typically recruits kids between the ages of 13 and 18—eighth graders through 12th graders.
But the seventh grader was one of those kids who just had it. Her tenacity and her hardworking spirit paid off. Time and time again, she proved she was up for the challenge. And the Redwood City rowing club took notice.
She’s one of a handful of Bay Area rowers representing the United States and Redwood City in the upcoming 2022 Junior World Rowing Championship in Italy next week.
Her Redwood Scullers teammates Ashton Perlroth of Palo Alto and Alice Dommer of San Carlos are also headed to Italy and will join the 14-year-old, said Monica Hilcu, head coach of the Redwood Scullers
Dommer is a senior at Sequoia High School, while Perlroth graduated from Palo Alto High School. Dommer will be racing in the women's quadruple sculls, and Perlroth will be racing in the men's quadruple sculls.
The Redwood Scullers, as the name suggests, employ the sculling model of rowing, where each kid has two oars, and they learn how to row small boats, such as singles and doubles, Hilcu said.
“It requires the kid to have a little bit more focus and balance,” Hilcu said. “They learn how to, I think personally, row a bit better because they have to be more accountable to their own selves in the single.”
It’s something that Olivia Petri excels at. Hilcu called her dedication inspirational.
Olivia Petri will likely be one of the youngest participants in single boat racing, said Olivia Petri’s mother, Olga Petri, in an email.
Most recently, Olivia Petri won gold in Florida in an under 16 category just two days after winning second place in an under 17 category, securing her spot in the world championship to represent the United States.
“She has demonstrated incredible commitment, hard work and persistence to get to this place,” Olga Petri said.
“Everybody likes training next to her because she's inspiring,” Hilcu said. “She just doesn't have an off button, and she doesn't know how to stop. She knows absolutely no boundaries for herself. ”
Not only did Olivia Petri, who recently completed her freshman year of high school, practice five to six times a week with her team, she did a lot of training on her own.
Weights, yoga and rowing in her spare time — easily 20 plus hours a week, Hilcu said.
For a 14-year-old kid, that’s a lot, she added.
“She would also come to extra practices,” Hilcu said. “When some of our novice and younger kids were out practicing, she would come and join into their practice, just to get some extra water time. So yeah, just definitely a go-getter.”
The three kids will head to the international competition later this month. The competition takes place from Wednesday, July 27 to Sunday, July 31.
