Patricia OBEE Interview

Rising Star – April 2012

A fast five minutes with Patricia Obee

Canada’s Patricia Obee started rowing in 2009 and made her international début one year later in 2010 at age 19. In 2010, she sat at the start line of the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in two different crews: the lightweight women’s double sculls and the women’s eight in which she won bronze. Her second season on the international circuit, 2011, saw Patricia winning world under-23 bronze in the lightweight single sculls. This boost in confidence and demonstration of skill and talent set Patricia up for her first senior World Rowing Championships. She teamed up with the experienced Lindsay Jennerich in the lightweight double sculls to row the race of her life (so far), winning a World Championship silver medal and qualifying the boat for the 2012 Olympic Games.

I row because… It’s a sport where your result is a direct correlation of how hard you train.

My biggest idol is… My Mom. She is the toughest person I have ever met.

On the erg I listen to… The top 40 at that moment in time.

My least favourite training session is… A Saturday morning workout. I’m so tired by Saturday morning it’s hard for any workout to feel amazing.

My favourite training session is… Monday morning for sure. We usually row the double against the men in singles. It’s fun to have a bunch of fast boats to race against.

My favourite food is… I really like bananas.

My favourite boat to row is… I think it would be a men’s eight, it’s the fastest. Unfortunately my only options as a lightweight women are the single and double. The double is much more fun to row.

My favourite website is… Facebook.

I’m motivated by… Winning; being the best in the world.

My toughest race… I think the final in 2011in Bled was probably the hardest I have raced but it was too exciting for me to call it the toughest race I have done.

I’m afraid of… Getting a terrible disease or being in an incident that significantly alters my life style.

At the 2012 London Olympics I am definitely going to be watching…The men’s eight.