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Things to do
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CARLOS ORTIZ staff photographer
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Personal: 43; married with a 7-year-old son.
Occupation: Assistant Manager at JPMorgan Chase Bank.
Community activities: We recently founded the Genesee Rowing Club and are committed to bringing more members of the community to the water, no matter their age or gender. (www.geneseerowingclub.com)
My favorite thing to do in Rochester: Rowing on the Genesee River and Erie Canal at 6:00 in the morning when it’s all so quiet and peaceful, seeing nature from a different perspective.
Biggest challenge I’ve overcome and how I did it: I have to say winter. I am from Brazil, where winter only lasts a couple of weeks and the temperature rarely drops below 50 degrees. Staying active kept my spirits up.
One thing I’ve always wanted to do but never have: Walk the fields of Scotland and visit castles in Germany.
Something people don’t know about me: Third place in 2007 and second place in 2008 at the World Indoor Rowing Championships (C.R.A.S.H. – B. Sprints) held at Boston University (Women lightweight 40-49). On the water in 2008: first place in the women single scull sprints at the Pittsford Regatta, The Lift Bridge Regatta, RowOntario Masters Championships, Canada, St. Catharines Invitational Regatta, Canada, The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and placed ninth out of 29 at the Head of the Charles. With my teammates we got first at the Lift Bridge Regatta, second at the Pittsford Regatta and at the RowOntario Masters Championships.
The one thing I can’t live without: Exercising.
The song that best describes my life: “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. The song is about breaking tradition ‘cause we’ve been conditioned not to make mistakes, releasing your inhibition and feeling the rain on your skin because no one else can feel it for you. The rest is still unwritten.
You see, life takes turns and it’d be foolish to limit yourself. I was 28 years old when I met my husband in Brazil, I ended a relationship of 5 ½ years to get engaged two months after we met and married two months later. I left my career, friends and family to come visit my husband’s country with the possibility of spending the rest of my life here. I have to say, in the back of my mind, I thought we would go back to Brazil. Well, it’s been 15 years and life surprised me again four years ago when I met Will Greene, head coach of the UR crew, and fell in love with the sport. Rowing has pushed me beyond what I once thought was my limit “and the rest is still unwritten”.
Favorite guilty meal: For me it would be any dessert. I can’t resist cheese cake or pumpkin pie. I’ll eat half of a pumpkin pie in one sitting.
