Trinity Sport student athlete John Tanguay has been officially selected for the US Rowing Paralympics team, the mixed four with coxswain crew will represent the United States at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo Japan. The crew composed of two men, two women and a coxswain were chosen through a selection camp process.
Trinity Sport Scholarship student athlete, John Tanguay, 22, is currently studying an MSc in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Trinity College Dublin Business School. John completed his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Columbia University. In 2019, he represented the United States at the World Rowing Championships and qualified the U.S boat for the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics. The Tokyo Paralympics’ boat features the same five athletes who won silver in the event at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The U.S. has won six consecutive silver medals in the event at the world level including at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil.
Commenting on his selection, John said: “Being selected to represent the United States at the Tokyo Paralympics is an honour and a personal achievement beyond sport for me. Because I was born with bilateral clubfoot, sport was often inaccessible and beyond my physical capabilities. I began rowing because it was one of the few sports I could participate in. After ten years and many races later, I recognize this opportunity as the culmination of all the love and support I've received from family, friends, doctors, surgeons, physical therapists, coaches, and pets during my life.”
Speaking about his training preparations and schedule ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics, John commented, “We currently train in the boat twice a day on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts with three to four strength sessions per week. For the next eight weeks we'll be reliant on this routine to sharpen our technique and build on our current speed to arrive in Tokyo ready for racing. The great things about the Charles are, number one - there's a surplus of fast boats to race and number two - there's a variety of conditions to row in. Considering Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo is expected to be quite gusty; we'll be doing much of our racing practice in the windiest parts of the Charles.”
When asked what his goal is for the Tokyo Paralympics, he said: “My primary goal is to enjoy this experience as much as I can. I don't want any aspect of this journey be taken for granted for a potentially once in a lifetime opportunity. My respect for my Team USA teammates and competitive counterparts at the Tokyo Paralympics also drives me to perform at my absolute highest ability, so if I can achieve these two goals this summer, I'll be happy. A gold medal would be really nice too.”
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place from August 24 to September 5, with para rowing events beginning August 27. In total, the U.S. will be sending four boats to the Paralympic Games. John Tanguay was awarded a Podium Level Trinity Sport Scholarship which recognises his exceptional athletic ability and supports him in is preparations for the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics.
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Camp-Selected Boats
John Tanguay (Pennington, N.J./Trinity College Dublin)
Karen Petrik (Glastonbury, Conn./University of Rhode Island)
Charley Nordin (Alameda, Calif./Gonzaga University)
Dani Hansen (Patterson, Calif./University of Washington)
Allie Reilly (North Kingstown, R.I./University of Rhode Island)