Why did I start rowing?
It's the first day of summer without any rowing plan ahead and time to write down a reflection about my personal reasons behind rowing. To be honest, I chose rowing following the bias of my heart and not giving up in responsibility for the team. Still, there are some rationales to summarize.
I row not for a medal, but for better learning and working status. Committing to a sport requires physical, financial, and time investment. Therefore, I was looking for a sport with the following qualities to boost cost-efficiency:
- Safety as a Basic Consideration: Engaging in a sport that minimizes the risk of injury.
- Long-term Challenge: It allows me to continuously challenge myself and develop my skills over the years.
- Morning Training: Training early in the morning helps me establish a daily routine; waking up early is part of the training discipline.
- Cultural Background: It offers a wealth of history and literature to explore, fostering spiritual growth and personal enrichment.
- Social Connection: It's a social sport that helps me connect with local people and the community.
- Targeting Weaknesses: Participation highlights my weakest link. Physical fitness involves six attributes: agility, coordination, balance, speed, reaction, and explosiveness. I need to work on improving my agility, which is currently my biggest challenge.
After exploring the available resources in Hong Kong, I narrowed down to rowing, windsurfing, and fencing. I crossed out "marathon" because I once ran a half marathon, which led to a knee injury. I stopped running for several months and still have lingering concerns about it. Tennis (it hurts when you get hit), rock climbing (easy to fall), and cycling (risk of falling at high speeds) were also excluded due to my fear of getting injured.
Whom I row with matters
I started collecting information about people in those sports clubs and courses. It is true that different athletes in various sports have distinct characteristics. Unfortunately, there wasn't much information about windsurfing and fencing except for official introductions and professional photos. The comparison became unfair at this stage.
From the photos in HKUST rowing club's Instagram, I saw their dark skin, warm and confident smiles, friendly interactions, and slightly awkward promotions. Although many of the images are rough from a promotional perspective, they highlight sincerity and vitality even more. I was immediately attracted to the rowing club for its simplicity, friendliness, and strong emphasis on team spirit and personal growth. (Hopefully I was not just fascinated by how cool the rowing girls are.)
That's the start of my story with rowing.