On October 18, five Olympic oarsmen who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 Head of the Charles Regatta met with students in the Chapel to discuss their lives as elite athletes. The Olympians, Paul O’Donovan (IRL L2x, Gold), Liam Corrigan (USA 4-, Gold), Pieter Quinton (USA 8+, Bronze), David Ambler (GB 4-, Bronze), and Dara Alizadeh ’11 (BER 1x), discussed their careers as rowers, and the attitude and lifestyle they adopted to reach the pinnacle of human performance.
Dozens of student-athletes were in attendance, including many non-rowers. The Olympians offered personal introductions before the meeting transitioned to a Q&A with the rowers. Each Olympian’s experience was different and provided a unique perspective on sport and life. The British and Irish national teams paid their rowers to participate in the games. In contrast, the Americans and Bermudian Dara Alizadeh had to balance sport with life in a manner similar—albeit far more intense—to Belmont Hill students. Dara also spoke about the challenges of being a single rower and not having teammates to push him constantly; he must stay disciplined all by himself.
Despite these differences, when asked what it took to be an Olympian, each athlete synonymously stated that commitment and consistency drove them to be the best. However, despite the intimidating nature of meeting with the world’s best, the chapel was a lighthearted affair; when Dr. Calloway asked the group to describe their most grueling workout, they described excruciating exercises that raised audible gasps from the crowd.
Students raved about the chapel, and Will Achtmeyer ’26 stated afterward, “I thought they gave amazing insight into the mindset required to achieve their level of training and being able to balance their personal/work lives with their sport.”
The Panel would like to thank Mr. Richards and the athletes for making the Chapel possible and wishes them luck with their upcoming winter training!
Indresh Chandel