“We rowers are one big family”

Olympic silver medallist Femke Dekker of the Netherlands decided to head for South America and she discovered, as a rower, the welcome was better than she could imagine thanks to a connection through FISA and the Peruvian Rowing Federation.

Dekker discovered that rowing in Lima, Peru’s capital city, was quite different from what she expected. She also found herself back in the boat, despite declaring that she was taking a complete break from rowing.

Dekker talked to World Rowing about her experiences.
 
World Rowing: Why did you choose Peru to visit?
Femke Dekker: During the season, my friend Nienke Groen (women’s eight 2009) stopped rowing at high level and decided to travel for six months in South America. I thought I would join her during the break after the worlds. This also gives me a good opportunity to take my mind off rowing for three weeks before I prepare for the 2012 season. I had a hard season in 2011 and I really needed a break (mentally and physically). I met Nienke in Ecuador and we travelled together down to Peru.

WR: Did you plan to come and stay at the rowing club, or was that by chance?
FD: I am always interested in how people in other countries train and at the under-23 championships I saw the lightweight single sculler (Victor Aspillaga Alayza) rowing for Peru. I thought it would be fun to try and get in contact with him or his coach and maybe try to visit them during my stay. We rowers are one big family and it is always nice to know somebody in a place where you have never been before. I asked FISA to help me get in contact with the Ecuador and Peru Rowing Federations; in the end we managed to meet Jose Antonio Tord (Peru Rowing Federation). 

WR: What are your impressions of rowing in Peru?
FD: It’s all that I did not expect. The trainings facilities (boats, weights room, ergometers, club, housing etc) are really good, maybe even better than in the Netherlands. But their water facilities and conditions are not really good. They row on the Pacific Ocean (2km course) or on a pond (500m long). The ocean is tough as you have waves and it has rarely flat water conditions, unless you start your session at 5am (which a lot of rowers do here!).

I am really amazed about the determination of the rowers here. They train hard and not with easy conditions. They get up really early (between 4 and 5am) and go to work (and the younger kids go to school!). They do an evening session after work.

WR: Describe the rowing club?
FD: There are lots of new boats, a restaurant where all rowers eat breakfast after training, a clubhouse and housing for the athletes. But what really surprised me is that the rowers do not have to carry and clean their boats. Assistants at the club take the boats out and put them in the water, you only need to carry your oars. After rowing they help you out of the boat (because of the tide and water conditions) and wash the boat and clean and dry it for you. You just take a shower and they put it back in the rack. The other thing is that the security guards keep a track of who is going out (in which boat, what time) and when you are back, so they are sure you are not shipwrecked somewhere in the harbour or something.

WR: Do the rowing club people know who you are (in terms of your rowing accomplishments)?
FD: As FISA made the first contact they told the (Peruvian) Federation who I was so they knew. But I was really stunned when Diego (Mejia Petersen) said he knew who I was as he recognised my face from the World Rowing Championship videos. Still not sure if he was joking, but I have never had that before.

WR: What has been the rowers’ reaction to your visit?
FD: We have had a very warm welcome here. We wanted to stay only two days but decided to stay longer. They let us stay at the rowing club, Regata Lima, and they showed us Lima. We really need to thank Jose Antiono Tord as he was always there to help us and arranged everything.

But also the rowers from the club welcomed us and took us to places in Lima.

WR: Have you been rowing yourself?
FD: Although I am having a rowing break, I could not refuse the offer to take out a single and row on the Pacific Ocean. It was a great experience and to be honest I did a complete workout. We also rowed the double on the pond as during the day the sea was too tough to row on.

WR: When are you back to regular training?
FD: On the 4th of October I will catch a plane back to Amsterdam as we kick off with the 2012 rowing season with the national team that week.