Nicole D’Silva | The Chronicle
After years of dedication and national success, MHS student Anish Maheshwaram qualifies to represent Team USA at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Championships in Turkey
Gliding down thousands of meters of water in Sarasota, Florida, a student from Mason High School (MHS) and his teammate rowed their way to the international competition in Turkey.
MHS junior Anish Maheshwaram has been rowing competitively for five years, beginning his journey at the Great Miami Rowing Club in Hamilton, Ohio. He qualified for an exclusive competition in Florida after placing third at the national championship and first at a national team tryout with his teammate, Hamilton High School sophomore Leland Angel. This presented the duo with the opportunity to go to Turkey.
“In the tryout, only the first-place team was able to qualify. I competed against six other teams, including a 2024 national team member,” Maheshwaram said.
Of those who qualified to go to Turkey at Nationals, Maheshwaram is one of six athletes for the USA Team for rowers under 19 years old.
“There are about 40 countries [total], mostly from Europe, and I’ll compete against 16 countries in my event, the Men’s junior double,” Maheshwaram said.
Maheshwaram said he constantly pushes himself to try harder and maintains a strict training regime. He said this schedule has been crucial in providing him with the opportunity to compete in Turkey.
“[I practice] about six days a week, and sometimes on Sundays, depending on the training load,” Maheshwaram said. “On Monday, usually during the school week, it’ll be about two and a half hours, and then on the weekend, it’ll be about three.”
Maheshwaram said it’s taken a lot of hard work to get where he is now and that he’s very thankful he got into rowing, even if it was just by chance.
“I saw a flyer on orientation day,” Maheshwaram said. “And I went to a meeting [for the Great Miami Rowing Club] in the high school here.”
Once he joined the club, he was taught by a head coach and an assistant coach. They taught him how to compete and brought the national competition to his attention.
“My old head coach [is] the national team head coach, so I got interested through him,” Maheshwaram said. “And so last year, I went to the national team trials, and just kind of tried it out. And I went to one again this year, late in June, and that is when I qualified.”
Maheshwaram said that the thought of competing in Turkey is stressful, knowing that he will be one of the few rowers officially representing the US as a country.
“It was kind of scary when I first qualified [to think] that I would have to do all of this,” Maheshwaram said. “It’s still pretty nerve-wracking knowing that I actually have to play there and perform well.”
Although he feels the pressure from his coaches and his family about the upcoming competition, Maheshawaram said that rowing still hones the ability to calm his nerves.
“Practicing feels graceful and calming, like I’m just rowing along the river,” Maheshwaram said. “[When I’m on the water] I’m never thinking about anything else.”
Maheshwaram believes that the work he puts in practicing matches exactly what he gets when he competes. He said that exercising and making sure he’s physically fit and mentally ready for a race is the key to playing well.
“[I practice] about six days a week, and sometimes on Sundays, depending on the training load,” Maheshwaram said. “On Monday, usually during the school week, it’ll be about two and a half hours, and then on the weekend, it’ll be about three.”
Even though practicing plays a huge role in performance, it’s not the only aspect that matters. Maheshwaram said his coaches and their ability to motivate and push him and his teammates are huge reasons he’s made it this far.
“I have one coach and one assistant coach, and they’re the ones who have taught me to be as skilled as I am [in rowing],” Maheshwaram said.
Maheshwaram said that no matter if he’s alone or with his teammates, rowing is peaceful and meditative, and it really helps take his mind off of the other stressors in his life. He said that rowing has taught him the importance of staying in the moment.
“There’s going to be a lot of good competition in Turkey,” Maheshwaram said, “I’m really excited to be there for it all.”
