10 Questions With ... Alyssa Abeygunaratne -- Women's Crew

This week's second "10 Questions" feature spotlights Orange Coast College women's crew standout Alyssa Abeygunaratne, who talks about her introduction into the sport and what it's like to compete at the collegiate level.

1. For those not familiar with rowing … take me through a race … your feelings at the starting line … that adrenaline rush at the start … what part of the body begins to hurt first?? When does it hurt the worst? That final 500 meters and the final kick … then the feeling when you cross the finish line?

"As we are going up to the line, you get pumped up and excited. Then as we are sitting there at the catching wating for the race to start, it feels like it takes forever. We're correcting our boat positions before the race, so we are all on the same line … it's so nerve wracking. We just have to be ready to go full out. We do a full-20 at the start to get us going as fast as possible. Then, we settle in before we go into another power-20. You start to feel numb – your legs are the first things to hurt, but they're still going strong. Then, you feel it in your arms, but you keep going. You know your teammates are in pain too and at the 500 meters, it's so intense. In in the final 350, you go as hard as you can and you empty the tanks. Your vision starts to go a bit and you begin to see black dots as you cross the finish line. It's so unreal … you definitely need a moment to recover afterwards."

2. How did you become a rower? Did you play other sports growing up?? Tell us your journey from growing up to becoming a rower for OCC?

"I grew up in L.A. County and that's more of an area for football and basketball – I had never heard of rowing before. I first heard of rowing when I first went to OCC and I thought it sounded kind of lame, to be honest. I was taking a sports nutrition class and one of the varsity girls recruited me. I tall and they wanted me to take part in introductory meeting. I saw their movie "Right to Row" and it was so inspiring! I immediately fell in love with the boathouse and the coaches. The boats looked super-cool, so I was excited to give it a try."

3. Take me through a typical race from a strategy standpoint … I assume it's a lot like a distance track race, where you get out strong, then maintain pace as long as you can before a big kick at the end, or is it a bit different than that? Are there outlying factors that might cause plans to change a bit?

"We have our 5K races, which is more like a cross country-type of race. You can't really sprint in those races. But in the 2K, that's more of an all-out race with power-20 stroked every 500 meters. There's nothing better than passing our boathouse during a race – it's so exhilarating!"

4. It's been a weird year so far thanks to COVID so what have you been doing out of the water to maintain your strength and stamina for a return to the water??

"I've been doing a lot of running since we've been out of the water. I was doing one-mile runs at the beginning, but now, I'm up to three miles. I've also got a gym membership, so I've been doing a lot of erg machine and weightlifting. I've been trying to improve my cardio and I've been going on lots of hikes as well."

5. Rowing or otherwise, what has been the hardest part for you in dealing with COVID and having your life so affected by all that's going on??  And … has the lessons taught to you from rowing helped you handle this obstacle a little better than others??

"Rowing has definitely taught me that we go through things in life and they're not always the most ideal situation. It's like when the coaches are pushing you beyond your limits, but in the end, you will be better for it and it'll have a better outcome. COVID will have an end too – much like a hard workout."

6. If I gave you a 24-hour pass from COVID and you could do anything that you used to do, what would it be?? What do you miss the most from this isolation??

"I would get on an OCC boat and row. It's been so long and I miss it so much. I've been having dreams of doing that again."

7. All kids like to eat … what are your favorite meals??
   1. Favorite food in general – "I'm a vegan … probably baked spaghetti squash with lentils and hummus."
   2. Favorite pre-race snack – "Usually something with fat/carbs/natural sugars, like an apple with some peanut butter."
   3. Favorite post-race meal – "After a hard race, I love eating pasta or bagels … some carbs for sure."
8. When you're not competing, what do you enjoy doing?? Any hobbies or interests???

"During the season, I'm so tired so I'm just watching movies or doing yoga or going to the beach."

9. In this COVID world there has been a LOT of TV binge watching going on … what are some of your favorite shows you've been hooked on over the past several months?

"I started the series '24' and I'm about six seasons in. It's great! I've also been watching the show 'Away', which is a story about a woman going to Mars."

10. What are some of your plans after OCC?? Perhaps a career beyond crew??

"I'm currently getting my certificate to teach preschool and I'm going to teach part-time, while going to Long Beach State, where I'll be a coxswain for their rowing program. I'm majoring child psychology so any career that involves helping children would be fantastic."