Weekly Winners | Concept2

Weekly Winners

Mark Chiovitti

The principle reason that I became a member with the Concept2 online community stems from the immense support of our rowing team captain, Dave Madore.

Back on November 29th 2010, Dave encouraged me to join him in rowing at our local community center in an effort to whip me into shape for the upcoming dragonboat season. It is important to note that by "encourage", I really mean drag me there, strap me onto the machine, and disallow me from quitting until I physically could not row anymore!

Dave and I have worked together for approximately four years now and have been friends since day one. We both share the same mentality that winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. We spent two years paddling together on a Simcoe County dragonboat team and won various races, including third overall at the 2011 Barrie Dragonboat Festival. I even convinced Dave to compete in a sprint triathlon with me last year, as we are always finding new ways to keep pushing one another. Although we don’t paddle together anymore, and I only row the bare minimum to stay on the team (100,000m!), three years after the first time I strapped in and just under one million meters completed, it undoubtedly would not have been possible without him.

On a personal note, I have transitioned off the indoor rower and onto the swim/bike/runs of my triathlon training, but I always find myself returning to the indoor rower during these competitions in order to help me achieve my personal goal of one day competing at the Ironman World Championships in Kona.

The photo is Dave and I in the Engine Room.