Lakewood Ranch rower hopes Zs lead to a W

Want to be a good rower?

Take naps. Lots of them.

That is the secret of Lakewood Ranch High junior and Sarasota Crew rower Isabella Gomez, who is currently training for the USRowing Youth National Championships, to be held June 6–9 at Nathan Benderson Park.

Gomez is part of the Crew’s girls lightweight-8 boat. She was in the same event at last year’s championships, held in Gold River, Calif., where she and her boatmates finished 11th (7:57.06).

Gomez isn’t satisfied with 11th. She has been working hard in pursuit of a top-10 finish, she said. Naps are a large part of her equation. I spoke to Gomez on May 23 and she told me she had taken a nap, of varying length, every day that week. They provide the energy taken out of Gomez by her grueling sport. She has been rowing for five years and still is not used to the toll each oar stroke takes on her body.

“It (pain) kicks in the second day after a workout,” Gomez said. “But it is also satisfying, knowing the effort you are giving every day to get better.”

Last year’s championships were Gomez’s first. She said she is more nervous this year than last, in part because the Crew will be racing at their de-facto home course.

Girls coach Kirby Gallie said she is not sure if familiarity will be a boon or a burden on her teams. It could be the latter if they relax too much. Going to unfamiliar, out-of-state courses gives teams an adrenaline rush. For Gomez, at least, the need to prove herself and defend her home outweighs any ho-hum feelings she may have about the venue.

The competition is also tougher this year, Gomez said. She often checks the times of her boat’s biggest threats to set goals for her squad. This year, Gomez’s goal is to get her boat as far under seven minutes as possible. Gomez said the crew is still straightening kinks in its rhythm.

At the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association Sweep Championships held April 27–28, Gomez’s boat won its event (5:02.00, in a 1,500-meter race; youth nationals races are 2,000-meters) with Gomez sitting in the fourth seat, in the middle of the boat. At practice, Gomez was sitting in the eighth eat, in front of the coxswain.

The changes are about finding the fastest combination possible, one that allows all rowers to be perfectly in sync. The crew came together weeks before April’s event. Other crews have been rowing together for months in preparation for nationals.

It puts Gomez and her boat at a disadvantage, in theory. But there is a reason the Crew is one of the most successful organizations in Florida (and the country): The athletes can handle adversity. If they have less time, well, then they will outwork everyone else to fix it.

Hence, all those naps.

Other tips Gomez has learned from her years on the water? Carry water everywhere you go, take electrolytes — either through Gatorade or tablets — and make sure you wear sunscreen.

A two-hour practice on the water with no skin protection isn’t fun, Gomez said.

The championships, which will be at Benderson Park the next three summers, see approximately 1,500 athletes descend on the area, representing 150 teams countrywide.

General admission tickets to the championships cost $10 for a single day or $35 for all four days. VIP tickets are $35 and $120, respectively. The park will open to spectators at 6 a.m. and racing begins at 8 a.m.

You should go, and stay for a while. Gomez deserves the support — not that she is lacking confidence.

“We have high expectations,” Gomez said. “This is our home. We are very hungry.”