row2k - How did you get your start in rowing and how did you find your way to Oregon State?
Chen Oshri - Before I started rowing, I trained in Track and field, I was middle distance runner. Unfortunately I quit because some reasons involved with politics. After quitting I was really unmotivated to train, so I didn’t workout for more than 6 month, until one day I decided to look for a new challenge. I really like to race and compete, so I was looking for a competitive sport that doesn’t require too much experience, because I was already 17. I’d never heard of rowing before, but I had a friend that was looking for a doubles partner, and she asked me if I want to come and try it, so I did! I’m not sure how much I even liked it from the beginning, but I just wanted to train and compete. Slowly I started to fall in love with the sport, and take practices more seriously.
After I finished my military service, I wanted to keep rowing, but I also wanted to study. Universities in Israel don’t have sports teams like here in the US, and it would be almost impossible to combine 10 practices a week with the school schedule. I decided to look for universities in the US that have good rowing programs. I was talking to some coaches, but eventually I came to visit Oregon State, and I loved it here, so I decided to try and come here.
row2k - What are some the differences between rowing in the U.S. and Israel?
Chen Oshri - Rowing is Israel is very different. As I said before, we don’t have rowing teams in universities or high schools. We have only 4 clubs, and not a lot of rivers or lakes to row, so it is not a very popular sport. Most people don't even know about it. There are not many rowers like here, and most of the time I trained alone. This is the biggest difference for me. I really like to have a big team, it makes the rowing experience so much more fun and competitive.
row2k - You served for two years in the Israeli military before coming to OSU, what was that like?
Chen Oshri - After graduating from high school in Israel, everyone has to do mandatory military service. It’s 2 years for the girls, and 3 for the boys. At the time I was part of the Israeli team, so I got special conditions as a solider athlete. I still needed to do the basic training for a month, but after I finished, I got the “special” condition that allowed me to train twice a day, while also serving for 6 hours a day at my base. I spent the majority of service as non-commissioned officer at the base, which was close to my rowing club. My military experience was a little bit different from my friends who served full time, but it was still a very strict system. It was not always easy to train, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it. I learned a lot about myself, and how to deal with different situations.
row2k - You've raced at several U23 World Championships, what have you learned in international competition that you can apply to racing collegiately in the USA?
Chen Oshri - I learned how to prepare myself before a race. I have some rituals that help me to relax and keep the focus just on myself before a race, even if it’s very crowded and my competitors look really strong and scary. I learned to build confidence and do MY race.
row2k - What do you like most about the sport of rowing?
Chen Oshri - I like the challenge of rowing. I like to set myself goals, and work for them until I achieve them. It’s so satisfying! Especially because the practices in rowing are so hard, it’s so fun to push the limits and see how far I can go every practice. I also like the fact that it’s a sport which requires different areas of training like aerobic, anaerobic, power training, and technique. It makes it harder, but practices are more interesting and it develops different skills.
row2k - What has been your most memorable race so far and why?
Chen Oshri - The repechage in the U23 in Lithuania was absolutely my best moment. The conditions were pretty rough that day. It was very windy and wavy. Pretty hard conditions for a single to row. Just the top two qualified for the semi-final. There were 4 boats and I came with the slowest time from the heats. I didn’t know what to expect, especially with those conditions, but my coach told me to keep my stroke rate above 32 all the way, and that’s what I did. I was so focused and tried to ignore the wind and the waves that went all over my boat. I was third all the way, but I could see the end of the boat of the girl who was in front of me. In the last 500m, I realized that I still had a chance, and I pushed it so hard until I beat her and I qualified for the semi-final. It was the best feeling in the world.
row2k - How has this season gone, and what are your goals for the spring?
Chen Oshri - So far the season is going pretty well. We train hard, and there are so many new personal records! Our goal for the spring is to qualify for nationals.
row2k - What are you studying at Oregon State and do you have any plans yet for after college?
Chen Oshri - I study Biology and pre-med. After I finish school, I want to coach rowing for a little bit. I want to pass and teach other people from my experiences. And I hope I could do it here in the US, just because it is so developed and there are so many rowers compared to Israel. After that, I want to keep studying in the health profession, and I’m thinking about med school, but I’m not sure if I want to do that in Israel or here.