Four years in the making
Four years in the making, blood and sweat, dedication, sacrifice, Beijing holds a number of key words that make the event special for all the people who compete there.
The Olympics gives you a chance only once every four years to achieve your dreams.
For rowing, it is the pinnacle of our sport. Achieving a gold medal here means everything. I would trade 100 world championship gold medals (our annual event) for one gold at the Olympics.
My driving force for this event in particular is what happened four years ago in the Athens Olympics.
Rowing with the eights, various excuses then have now become lessons learned now.
Where factions existed then, a single crew attitude dominates now.
A smaller crew of only four rowers replaces that of eight rowers and a cox.
A dynamic and driven team look at every angle of our rowing, finding that 0.01% of speed that could make the difference.
On a personal level, I am without doubt a very different person from four years ago.
My physiology, psychology and technique - I’m sure I’m unrecognisable.
This journey has reinvented my approach to rowing and will hopefully make the difference between coming ninth out of nine in Athens to achieving our resolute goal of a simple gold medal in Beijing.
This Olympics is more than ‘the’ race of the last four years though.
There are ghosts to lay to rest from that horrific race four years ago when we were declared to be the worst men’s eight in the world.
All the effort that had gone into that race was instantly thrown into our faces; blame only lay on our shoulders.
Back then, I knew that there was more within myself, despite failing with my crewmates, I had to find my feet again and drive on.
Since then I have won all the major GB Trials thrown at me, won a Boat Race and I became double world champion in a four with the best rowers in GB.
My drive has been pushing my own limits and those around me, setting a few new standards and trying hard to keep up with those who set standards around me.
Enjoyment has been a real part of the last few years, but only through improvement I felt I was making.
We took a big step backwards last year, coming fourth at the world championships.
I could feel it coming up to a month before the event, but found that I was powerless to do anything about it.
This led to a considerable depression that I have only just started to appreciate.
It was too close to the tragedy of 2004, all the events unfolding in front of me, like a nightmare that you cannot stop.
From that poor performance last year there has been a voyage of rediscovery, finding myself and my role within the four.
But most importantly, finding and implementing the methods that will keep this four on a winning path, beginning in the winter and through the spring.
Every crew gives blood and sweat, dedication and sacrifice.
But what separates us?
Well…I am here to prove that four years ago was the mistake, this is the real deal.
This, right now, is what I am made of.
All the love and the hate, the frustration, the deep down belief, the ignorance, the selfishness, being the person I hate to accept I am; that can put me on top, that is what only I have.
The Olympics gives you a chance only once every four years to achieve your dreams.
For rowing, it is the pinnacle of our sport. Achieving a gold medal here means everything. I would trade 100 world championship gold medals (our annual event) for one gold at the Olympics.
My driving force for this event in particular is what happened four years ago in the Athens Olympics.
Rowing with the eights, various excuses then have now become lessons learned now.
Where factions existed then, a single crew attitude dominates now.
A smaller crew of only four rowers replaces that of eight rowers and a cox.
A dynamic and driven team look at every angle of our rowing, finding that 0.01% of speed that could make the difference.
On a personal level, I am without doubt a very different person from four years ago.
My physiology, psychology and technique - I’m sure I’m unrecognisable.
This journey has reinvented my approach to rowing and will hopefully make the difference between coming ninth out of nine in Athens to achieving our resolute goal of a simple gold medal in Beijing.
This Olympics is more than ‘the’ race of the last four years though.
There are ghosts to lay to rest from that horrific race four years ago when we were declared to be the worst men’s eight in the world.
All the effort that had gone into that race was instantly thrown into our faces; blame only lay on our shoulders.
Back then, I knew that there was more within myself, despite failing with my crewmates, I had to find my feet again and drive on.
Since then I have won all the major GB Trials thrown at me, won a Boat Race and I became double world champion in a four with the best rowers in GB.
My drive has been pushing my own limits and those around me, setting a few new standards and trying hard to keep up with those who set standards around me.
Enjoyment has been a real part of the last few years, but only through improvement I felt I was making.
We took a big step backwards last year, coming fourth at the world championships.
I could feel it coming up to a month before the event, but found that I was powerless to do anything about it.
This led to a considerable depression that I have only just started to appreciate.
It was too close to the tragedy of 2004, all the events unfolding in front of me, like a nightmare that you cannot stop.
From that poor performance last year there has been a voyage of rediscovery, finding myself and my role within the four.
But most importantly, finding and implementing the methods that will keep this four on a winning path, beginning in the winter and through the spring.
Every crew gives blood and sweat, dedication and sacrifice.
But what separates us?
Well…I am here to prove that four years ago was the mistake, this is the real deal.
This, right now, is what I am made of.
All the love and the hate, the frustration, the deep down belief, the ignorance, the selfishness, being the person I hate to accept I am; that can put me on top, that is what only I have.
Labels: Andy Hodge, Athens, Beijing, Olympics, Rowing
posted by Nick Westby at 2:20 AM
2 Comments:
Go Andrew! We'll be screaming at our tellies back home. We know you can do it!.
This is a big BIG hug (if I can get my arms round you now!) from them Parsnips in Devon. I shall think of your blog when I'm pounding round Devon lanes and trying to discover the athlete within. And trying to stop laughing at the thought. I'm trying to follow Ma and Pa's example and have a go in the Great North Run. Just think, you have inspired The Fat Runner! The image might help when you need something to really scare you in training.
Good luck is as understatement - we'll be screaming from the sofa.
Much love,
John and Jane, Katie and Em
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