Rowers chase Paralympic dreams at Nathan Benderson Park

In a FOX television interview in 2011, disabled Army veteran Helman Roman talked of his despair.

"There is no way I can serve my country the way it needs to be served," said the former staff sergeant, whose legs were crushed by an improvised explosive device that blew up his patrol vehicle in Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2009.

On March 4 at Nathan Benderson Park, Miami's Roman showed he might have found another way to represent the USA.

Roman, 47, finished a big effort at the USRowing Para Rowing Camp with a solid performance that indicated he is one of the favorites going into the trunk-and-arms mixed U.S. Paralympic Team Trials April 6-7 in West Windsor, N.J.

One man and one woman will make up trunk-and-arms mixed team that will compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

After his big race March 4, he slowly worked his way out of his boat, lifting his body on the dock, his damaged legs and feet dragging behind. He then flashed a big smile and he talked about his "new beginning."

"Oh my God, this is like a double whammy," Roman said. "I get to compete, and any citizen who can wear the flag on their shoulder or chest, it means the world."

The camp, just one of the many major rowing events Benderson Park will host leading up to the 2017 World Championships that begins Sept. 24, 2017, offered many other inspiring stories about athletes overcoming considerable physical challenges.

Coaches Stephanie Parrish of Miami Beach Rowing, and Christopher Meyer, of Mohawk Home School Rowing of Albany, N.Y., talked about how they have been humbled working with the athletes.

Parrish works with Roman. "I have a huge amount of respect for him," she said.

Meyer works with Schenectady, N.Y.'s Isaac French, who was born a double amputee. The 15-year-old is a blossoming star in para rowing.

Both Parrish and Meyer have rowed while purposely not using their legs to get a better understanding of what their athletes face.

"It was a glimpse into what life is like on a daily basis for him," Parrish said of Roman. 

"It is humbling," Meyer said of working with French.

Three-time Olympic rower Tom Darling took over as the director of para rowing for USRowing in 2013 and he told the athletes at Benderson Park that it will take time to "build a community."

With funding from the Veterans Administration, USRowing has developed its program Freedom Rows, and Darling sees more talented athletes from that program raising the bar in terms of competition.

"I've never seen anyone able to row like the military guys," Darling said.

Darling was at the camp to identify best combinations of rowers to compete for spots on the U.S. team. He congratulated the rowers on an outstanding effort and noted, "There are going to be little peaks and valleys. You have to stick with it."

Roman, who with teammate Betsy Mitchell had the best time of the day in 4:39, said he identifies with the statement. "You train every day," he said. "You go 10,000 to 20,000 meters for just a 1,000-meter race.

"But when I was in the hospital, I was not thinking about being able to do anything competitive. That IED hit under my side of the vehicle and it broke the vehicle in two, crushing everything from my knees down. It was like crushing a Coke can. My feet and ankles were pulverized.

"But you learn that anything you do with love and passion, you will be good at. You can do things in a different way."

Although he still has "24-7" pain, Roman doesn't mind pushing his body for a shot at representing the U.S.

"You live and you die with rowing," he said. "Those last 250 meters, you have tunnel vision because it hurts so bad. But it is worth it."