Rowing to the Olympics: André Matias ’12
In single sculls, competitors hurl their long, narrow boats for 2,000 meters (1.25 miles) in less than eight minutes. “It’s one of the most painful sports because you sprint the whole way,” Matias said.
He trained for Paris by rowing at dawn on the Potomac River. “When it starts hurting, you know you’re doing something right because that means you’re getting stronger,” he added.
The Potomac was a convenient spot — at the same time, he was studying law at Georgetown University. Today, Matias, who speaks Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English, practices law in Washington, D.C., at his firm Altius Immigration Law.
He credits Hamilton’s former rowing coach Eric Summers with being the biggest influence on his development as an athlete. “I learned discipline from Eric. He was always there to counsel me and motivate me,” Matias said.
He took home no medals from Paris or Rio but still won big. A fourth-generation Angolan who grew up in Angola and came to the U.S. to attend boarding school, he always regarded the Games as his ultimate goal.
“I’ve always looked at hard things and thought, ‘If I fall short, I’ll know what my limits are, but I’ll keep trying to go beyond them.’ If you give it your all, believe in yourself, and push your limits every day for years, then maybe you can get to the Olympics.”
