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by Addison Maley
Editor-in-Chief
The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
Bradley senior Tess Esquivel will represent the Central Ohio Rowing Club in the largest three-day regatta in the world, the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, MA on Oct. 20-22.
According to hocr.org, the Head of the Charles features over 11,000 rowers from 27 countries, hosting 55 different race events. Esquivel will compete in the Women’s Youth Fours, alongside her coxswain and three other rowers.
“It’s my first time going to [the Head of the Charles], my team usually has 1 or 2 boats go a year… we head down Friday at like 1am, we practice from 11am till 2pm. We have all day Saturday to do what we want, so our group decided we wanted to go to Salem, MA since it’ll be Halloween- then Sunday we race,” Esquivel explained.
“I’m excited [and nervous]. A lot of both. Because the category is youth 17-19, I’m gonna be racing older girls too- and I’m the oldest girl on my boat.”
Tess had a later introduction to rowing than most: “usually people start in the beginning of high school or in middle school, but I started my sophomore year.” This late start did not hold her back though. “I have 6 medals: 2 gold, 3 bronze, and 1 silver in 3 years… I just adapted to it really quickly- like my body, I’ve gained a lot of muscle. It just makes me happy.”
Not only has Tess technically improved in the sport, but she has also made incredible connections with the girls on her team, often acting as a mentor.
“I am captain of the team… you just have to be a role model to everyone, make sure everyone is being responsible, everything’s going fast. We like to get on the water fast so we have more time practicing, so we have to ensure that happens.”
“When I joined, there were also… 20 other girls that joined and it was their first year, so we’ve all grown together… we have a great bond. Being a captain, I won’t say you have to ‘break in,’ but you have to get to know the new novices, and bond with them so they want to stay.
“At this year’s Spring Banquet I got the Most Improved award from my coach. I almost started crying when I got it, but then 3 other girls at my table got awards too, so I started getting emotional for them. I started to cry, it was a great time.
“I know that I’m not the best rower. They know that I’m not the best rower. They know that I’m up there, but… whenever I talk to the girls, I’m the one that everyone goes to if they need anything or if they’re not okay.”
Tess’ parents are her biggest supporters, making their passion clear during every race.
“My dad loves [rowing]. He’s just an athletic guy, he’s competitive, so it’s a chance for him to yell. In the Cuyahoga, there are 5 or 6 bridges that we go under, and I remember we were going under one during our race, and I could hear my dad yelling everyone’s name in the boat… I heard him yelling ‘GO NATALIA! GO AMALIE! GO TESS! GO SAVANNAH!’ He yelled all 9 names. That was the only voice I heard. Usually you block it out, you only hear cheering, but I heard exactly what he was saying.
“They love my mom for her chants. Like the last one at the Cuyahoga she was yelling “PEDAL, PEDAL, PEDAL, TO THE MEDAL, MEDAL, MEDAL” and then 2 years ago at the Midwest Championships, she was yelling so loud she sounded like a seagull!”
Despite high accolades and a strong support system, Tess had some anxiety about rowing in the Head of the Charles.
“I remembered one thing that one of my friends said earlier- she was on the team longer than I was, and she was saying how one time they had a girl’s boat go to the Head of the Charles, but the lineup wasn’t that good because the coach wanted the seniors to go. That sort of got to my head a little bit.
“I’m not the best rower- the best is a girl younger than me, she's just amazing because she's been rowing since birth- but she was unable to go, so they asked me. So already, I wasn't the top one. I was a runner-up.
“I went to my coach and I said ‘Am I going to the Head of the Charles because I’m a senior, or because I’m the fifth best rower?’ and he said ‘a little bit of both.’ And I was like okay… and I said, ‘Okay, well I'm going to prove to you that I am the fifth best rower- maybe better than that.’
“So I start to walk away, and Coach Chris calls me over… he's like ‘Tess,’ he's this old guy, he's short, we call him Squatty. He says ‘you don't have to prove anything to anyone. You’ve proven that you’re a great rower and a great person on this team. You’ve grown beautifully into the sport. You don't have to prove anything.’ I almost started crying. I just went into my car and cried. Then I got some ice cream from Culvers.”
Tess will demonstrate her growth and skill in a three mile race this Sunday, Oct. 22 at 10:43 a.m. that will be livestreamed on YouTube. The Jungle wishes her luck!
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