THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Harrison: Ready for his row in the world spotlight

Isaiah Harrison isn’t shy about competing with the big boys.

At 6-foot-9, he’s as big as they come.

A little later this month, Harrison, 19, of Coeur d'Alene will try his luck against the rest of the world in the sport of rowing, competing in single sculls at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Italy.

HARRISON WON the U-23 Men’s 1X title in Sarasota, Fla., in late June, qualifying for worlds at the end of July. Only the champion advanced.

Still, competing at worlds will be a different competition.

“It’s a matter of going out and seeing what the international competition is like,” Harrison said. “I just want to race the best in the world.”

Harrison qualified for U-19 Junior Worlds in 2021, finishing third in single sculls. He won the U19 event in 2021 at the World Rowing Indoor Championships, competing on a rowing machine.

“Competing against people that are older than me is something I’ve always done,” Harrison said. “And that’s the way I’ve developed the most.”

As Harrison has grown — he’s got a 7-foot, 2-inch wingspan — he’s improved in many ways.

“I’ve been getting more powerful and confident,” Harrison said. “At the same time, I’ve gotten more technical and precise on the water. Rowing is a lot like many other sports and there’s a big difference between being 95 percent proficient with your technique and that last 5 percent. And that last 5 percent is the difference making it to worlds and being the A finalist. And that last 5 percent is going to take 95 percent of your time.”

The World Rowing Championships are July 27-31 in Varese, Italy.

Harrison trains 25 to 30 hours a week, doing a morning workout and evening workout on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

“My training right now is six days a week,” Harrison said. “I’m just continually putting in the hours and work. For me, it’s about putting in the time and hours to be competitive.”

While others might have been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Harrison was able to press on.

“For us, we were really blessed and I’m grateful that we didn’t get shut down for training,” Harrison said. “Because of the boat size I row, which is the single, and our location where we live, I was able to continue training and building. A lot of others weren’t able to do that and had to cut back and stop rowing some of the larger boats that they prioritize. But for us, it wasn’t a huge difference.

“The biggest thing we missed was the physical racing and actually being able to go out and compete with other people in the water, butt heads and race with others,” Harrison said. “Not having that competition really was difficult.”

Then again, with training at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, he’s often all alone on the water in his boat, which weighs 32 pounds and is made of fiberglass.

“My brain wanders a lot,” Harrison said. “Sometimes, I’ll be thinking about this portion of my technique and my mind will wander to something random like what I had for dinner last night, how that’s sitting, or a movie that I just watched and then snap back to the technique. Most of the time I’ll be focusing on technique and when everything feels good, then I’ll wander off and then have to re-shift my focus.”

IN ITALY, the competition will stretch for five days, culminating with the finals on July 31.

As for any anxiety headed into the race, it’s something that Harrison said he hasn’t thought about.

“If you’re nervous, it implies that you’re afraid,” Harrison said. “I’m not afraid of the competition because this is what you train for. Every athlete trains to do the absolute best they can. Am I nervous? No, not particularly, but I’m anxious and excited. There’s butterflies and I’m anxious to see what others are going to do.”

Harrison also believes his size plays to his strengths.

“One of the things that I never wanted to be was a larger guy that was somewhat clumsy or unusual,” Harrison said. “I’ve always strived to be an individual that was fit and active and in control of myself. Rowing, especially being a larger athlete, is a sport that tailors to larger individuals. You’ve got more time to work on your stroke because your oars are in the water longer, and you generate more speed. At the world level, you’ll find the better athletes are a little taller.”

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Harrison offset some expenses for travel to get to Italy at www.gofundme.com/f/send-team-usa-m1x-to-u23-rowing-world-champs.

NO AMERICAN has won gold in the single sculls in over 100 years.

“It’s a dream of mine to do that someday,” Harrison said.

And living just minutes away from the lake, he can practice regularly.

“God has been gracious and given me a good amount of genetic talent,” Harrison said. “I come from an athletic family and it really matches my mindset. It’s a unique sport in that the distance you race for the Olympic and World level isn’t a sprint, but it’s also not a long race.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.