Cornell grad Michael Grady heads to Tokyo for his first Olympics as a member of the USA M4-
1. What inspired you to go to your first rowing practice; was there anything memorable about it?
My dad was the primary reason I tried to give rowing a go. He was pretty quick on the rowing machine after picking it up in his late 30s. He took me to a rowing practice when I was younger and sat me in the tanks. The first strokes I ever took, I later found out, were backing down strokes.
2. Was there a practice, race or other event when you fell in love with the sport, or when you knew you might not be too bad at rowing? When you thought you could make the national team?
I fell in love with the sport in the channel between Washington’s Landing and the north side, in Pittsburgh. There is a 500 meter track where my high school forges boys into men. One day there, the varsity eight set a new record time that was quite a bit faster than any other time previously set. Everyone just yelled and cheered, giving us momentum into our program's first national championship. That stretch of 500m is really special to me; I often visit there in the summer to try and put together fast times in the single.
There was never a real moment where I thought I could make a national team. But many small moments and interactions leading up to now convinced me it was possible. Moments where I posted a good erg or felt the boat moving just right and interactions with my mentors where they told me “you have the talent" or "keep up the good work."
3. Best race/practice, worst race/practice?
Best Race: 2018 U23 Championships Mens 8+ A final. My boat set a U23 World's best time and won in the process of doing so. The best way to cap off an incredible summer!
Worst Race: 2018 Madeira Cup vs Penn when they beat us and set a course record on our home course in Cayuga. It goes to show that both highs and lows can happen in just a year!
4. Best/Anything you've done in the sport no one knows about?
The skunk stripe hairstyle I had my freshman year in college. I stroked our varsity and thought I was funny by dying my hair with a blonde stripe in it. It still is the epitome of my hair styles in rowing.
5. Any/Most important advice for young rowers?
Draw energy from those around you and remember that somewhere out there, someone is outworking you. You need to manifest enthusiasm every day and surrender to the process of training.
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Club Affiliation: Oakland, TC
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 200
Education: Cornell University
Training Location: Oakland, CA
Current Coach: Mike Teti
National Teams: Five – Junior 2013-14; Under 23, 2017-18; Olympic, 2020
International Results: Won gold in the eight at the 2018 World Rowing Under 23 Championships...Finished fourth in the eight at the 2018 World Rowing Cup III...Finished fourth in the eight at the 2017 World Rowing Under 23 Championships...Finished ninth in the eight at the 2014 World Rowing Junior Championships...Finished eighth in the four with coxswain at the 2013 World Rowing Junior Championships.
National Results: Reached the final in the varsity eight at the 2016 Eastern Sprints...Won the varsity eight at the 2013 Scholastic Rowing Association of America Championships.
Personal: Michael enjoys beekeeping and solving Rubix Cubes. He is also a twin and found the sport of rowing though his father. Michael admires Carlos Dinares for his enthusiasm towards the sport of rowing.
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