15 Mar 2017
Rodrigo Conde Romero (ESP)
Rising Star – March 2017
Hailing from Spain, Rodrigo Conde Romero is an up-and-coming rowing star for his nation. With his teammate, Adria Mitjavila, he won gold at the 2016 World Under 23 Rowing Championships in Rotterdam, just before his 19th birthday. He tells us about the challenges of training and studying and what food gets him through it all.
I chose rowing …thanks to a schoolmate. Before that I had tried many sports but only at school level. Rowing hooked me from the first day – nothing comes close to it.
I train at… La Cartuja, Seville, the home of the High Performance Centre for Rowing
It is a challenge…. combining studies and training. After training you are too tired get on with studying! But with a bit of effort I am getting there.
Winning a gold medal at the Under 23 championships… is something that no one can describe. It is a feeling of satisfaction so great that it makes you cry and certainly makes it worth all the effort that comes before it.
My next goal is… in the short term, this year’s World Rowing Championships and in the long-term, the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.
My ultimate dream for my rowing career is… to retire as one of the best rowers in the world and, if possible, after having won an Olympic gold. That really would be a dream!
The sports person I most admire is… my teammate Jesús González Alvarez (who’s almost 43 years old) for being who he is and for his hard work for so many years. It carries within itself the values of our sport.
The best advice I ever had is… undoubtedly “keep your feet on the ground.”
When I’m not rowing… I try to disconnect either with friends, with my girlfriend or occasionally studying – a little!
I don’t train fulltime… I start my training at 6:30 in the morning. At 9am I go to school until 3pm and then between 4 and 5pm go back to training.
When I’m not training… I like to go for a walk or to do something with friends. I also like to go to the cinema, to the beach whenever I can and to go and eat something that I like. I love to eat!
In my fridge I always have… a piece of cheese. I love cheese.