Purman Finishes 10th at Pre-Olympic Qualifier
IncNow Technology Director Will Purman has been with us since 2011, while also training often twice a day as a high-performance rower at Malta Boat Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We are pleased to share the final post in Will’s series of blogs recounting his recent travels and international race results. To catch up on how Will has been racing, you can re-visit his last blog entry here. We pick back up with Will as he returns to Delaware after competing in the Olympic Qualification Regatta in Valparaiso, Chile.
Ten months ago, I began training to qualify as a heavyweight single sculler for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil by rowing for Puerto Rico. My training and racing took me to Puerto Rico, the World Rowing Championship in France, Spain and finally the Pre-Olympic Qualifier in Chile. Unfortunately, my adventure ended in Chile where I was unable to finish within the top six places and earn a spot in Rio.
My trip to Chile to compete at the Qualifier was met with many unexpected challenges. First, within 10 minutes of arriving at the Santiago airport, I was robbed! A bag which contained my passport was stolen. On a positive note, the robbery happened early on in my trip, which gave me time to visit the embassy and obtain a new passport before competition began. Also, right before the start of competition, I caught a stomach virus that drained much of my energy.
Although I tried to remain focused on my races, feeling less than 100% caused me to race drastically off pace and underperform during one of the most important competitions in my life. I ended up finishing in the middle of the pack, 10th overall, within a field of very competitive rowers from all parts of Central and South America.
As I reflect back on this year, I can take away many positives. I am in the best shape of my life. I have set new personal records on the rowing machine. I have been able to travel to foreign countries I would never have otherwise visited. I have drastically improved my rowing technique under the guidance of world-class coaches. I have re-learned Spanish (which is becoming useful when taking calls from our Spanish speaking customers) and I have been able to continue to work as IncNow’s IT director while doing so.
These experiences and opportunities will set a good foundation as I enter a new Olympic quadrennial and focus on new competitive goals, such as competing at 2017 World Championships in Sarasota, Florida and representing Puerto Rico at the Pan-American games and hopefully the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Thanks for following my trip!
-Will Purman
