by Ruby Lyon
“I’m 100% sure I’ve fallen for the sport – big time.” – Ricardo Pantaleon
After joining Row New York in the eighth grade, Ricardo has progressed to become the boy’s varsity team captain and demonstrates how much you can achieve with drive and love for a sport. He has gone to States with RNY, and makes a point to apply lessons learned on the water to everyday life – like succeeding in high school! He is committed to the philosophy of pushing your limits, and in return, building mental and physical strength. Learn more about Ricardo’s outlook on creating a close team, BBQs, and excitement for the fall (and beyond) season, on this week’s Athlete Spotlights.
Athlete Spotlights presents: Ricardo
Fast Forward:
“Ricardo has made huge strides in the last few months, and has exponentially improved his rowing skills. He has a passion for the sport, which shows in his daily attitude, and presence. He’s committed to improving himself and his teammates at practice. Along with being self-motivated and driven, Ricardo leads by example as a team captain and pushes his team to improve with him.” – Coach Sasha Bailey
It’s no surprise that Ricardo has continued to excel both in school and at Row New York. In his third year of high school, he has started reaching out to coaches about rowing recruitment. He is currently in contact with Princeton University, Bucknell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and many more! Halfway through the winter season, Ricardo notes, “I’m in the best shape I ever been, and I have started to see the more competitive side of rowing.” He hopes to row at the Upper River Boat Club this summer.
In his interview, Ricardo admits to the difficulty of balancing school and athletics, but that hasn’t stopped him from mastering both endeavors. He has always achieved straight A’s, and this year maintains a 95.71 average. He works to continuously improve his test-taking skills and is currently preparing for the SAT by attending a test prep course every Saturday with the program, Minds Matter. If that’s not enough, Ricardo is currently helping grow his school’s Gay Straight Alliance club, an anti-bullying club.
Next Week on Athlete Spotlights:
Manhattan coxswain, Celia, shares her thoughts on teamwork and preparing for college.
The Athlete Spotlights series was filmed in the summer of 2015. Created and produced by Row New York alumnae 15′, Brittany Benninger and Nadja Steiner, they highlight the student-athlete rowing experience.
