2015 Parmigiani Spirit Award finalists; Sciesiek and Stefanovic

Maciek Sciesiek
Polish-born Maciek Sciesiek is presently enrolled at the University of Warsaw, working towards a PhD in physics and pursuing his passion for rowing.

Sciesiek first started rowing in 2011 when he joined the University of Warsaw Boat Club. Soon after, he volunteered to take over the management of the club. While he had limited years of experience on the water, Sciesiek contributed significantly to the development of rowing, both within the club and in Poland.

Robert Borys, his coach, says that it was Sciesiek who approached him with the desire to build an academic rowing culture from scratch – starting with Warsaw. Sciesiek’s commitment to rowing has taken the fledgling Warsaw University Boat Club from six members to more than 30, who now train 8-10 times a week. Moreover, Sciesiek created the club’s first women’s eight. Sciesiek’s teammate, Maria Szumowska, says that he leads the boat club professionally and loyally. She adds that as a result they are now a well-organised team of rowers who train, race, integrate and grow together.

Szumowska says that teamwork is another value they observe in Sciesiek. She describes him as motivating and a positive role model within the team. “He understands teamwork as motivating others, being a role model, selflessly contributing to the successes of others and the club as a whole, creating a place where everyone can grow and succeed. Rowing has integrated us into a family of 40.”

Sciesiek’s values are not limited to rowing; his academic career reflects his commitment and self-discipline. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Warsaw with a Master of Science in Physics, Sciesiek was invited to enter a PhD program, where he is currently researching ultrafast magnetospectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures. His achievements include authoring a scientific paper and co-authoring a research paper published in a journal, presenting his work at national and international conferences, and being awarded a special scholarship for the best student of the Physics Faculty at the University of Warsaw.

Maciej Sciesiek is a person who is not afraid to fail and who is willing to make sacrifices for others. He is mature, determined, focused, and inspiring, and has already triggered a change in university rowing in Warsaw.

Tijana Stefanovic
Studying information and technology systems, Tijana Stefanovic from Serbia is a force to be reckoned with.

In 2010, when she started university, she was awarded the Vuk Karadzic Award for Academic Excellence, but that is only the beginning. Stefanovic, balances her studies with rowing for the Belgrade University Rowing Club and has achieved honours in both areas.

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Her teammate Miroslav Veljovic describes her as a hard worker and a team player. Stefanovic is involved in many aspects of the rowing club, including helping to organise events as a member of the club’s steering committee. Through determination and hard work, Stefanovic won the National Indoor Rowing Championship in the women’s student category in 2013 and 2014. Her coach Milos Trumic says that she is a true representative of all of the club’s values. “The club promotes values such as volunteerism, activism and a healthy lifestyle. And at the same time it allows its members to develop sportsmanship, personality and physical fitness and to foster teamwork through sport challenges.”

Not only does Stefanovic push herself to accomplish more in rowing, she also inspires success in her teammates. This transfers to her activities outside of rowing as well. Stefanovic was chosen to run her faculty’s largest and most prestigious event. Managing a team of 25 students to run the event was not easy, but Stefanovic drew on her rowing experience.

Stefanovic’s ability to inspire those around her, both in rowing and in other activities, has helped create success wherever she goes.  Elected to the board of the university rowing club, Stefanovic is currently working on a project with Serbian Ministry of Youth and Sport that aims to organise free sport activities for young people.  As a part of this programme, more than 25 new students learned to row over the summer, thus growing the university rowing club.

Stefanovic selflessly used money from her paid internship to buy sculling oars for the club, hoping to empower others to be able to learn to row. “The thrill and excitement of being in a boat is the most uplifting emotion and unique feeling to the sport of rowing,” says Stefanovic.

World Rowing will continue to feature the Parmigiani Spirit Award finalists in October, before the decision is made on the winner.