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Palmetto Bay resident Javier de Cardenas, a junior at Belen Jesuit High School, won the Varsity Lightweight Single Sculling State Championship. The competition was conducted by the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association on Apr. 9 and 10 in Nathen Benderson Park in Sarasota, where 39 clubs/high schools participated.
Belen High School has not had an overall single sculling state champion since 2015, so de Cardenas’s accomplishment was all the more meaningful.
Javier’s father, Dr. Andres de Cardenas, said that his son’s hard work paid off.
“Javi trains in the morning from 5:30 to 7:30, goes to school, then trains again from 3 to 6:30 in the afternoon five days a week,” Dr. de Cardenas said. “On Saturday he trains from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. He has always loved rowing the eight but the single is the hardest for him because it all depends on him overcoming the pain of the lactic acid in his muscles, and the mental fortitude to beat the fatigue of the 2000 meters.”
Yunian Cabrera, who serves as the head coach for the sculling teams at Belen Jesuit High School, had only good things to say about Javier and his win, especially since there wasn’t a lot of time before the competition.
“I’m really proud of him because we haven’t won this title since 2015,” Cabrera said.
“There was a very short time on the goal. He prepared very well. He’s a focused guy who is putting all the effort in every practice. He won the Scholastic Cup and the Clubs Cup. With first place he earned two trophies.”
Unlike other sculling competitions where a team of rowers is working together and can encourage each other, if only by their presence, the single sculling event requires a different mindset and energy.
“It was a difficult race,” Javier said. “I’m definitely very proud of it. It was very difficult for me, the training that I did for the single. The training for the single, you’re rowing for a very long time and you’re by yourself. It’s all personal preference.
“For me, my 100 percent on a single, compared to bigger boats like a four or an eight, is different. My 100 percent on an eight is more than my 100 percent on a single. It’s hard to put that same amount of pressure on a single for me. Some people don’t like singles because they’re alone and not with anyone.”
Javier said that this race in particular provided an unexpected challenge and represented a come-from-behind victory. Normally in sculling races, once the boats are aligned at the starting line, the starter raises a flag, lowers it and says, “Go.” This time, the starter’s voice could not be heard at his position and there was no flag raised and lowered.
“The other boats started going and that was when I started,” he said. “I had to catch up, which was very difficult.”
But catch up he did and came in first. He is grateful for the support of his family and the efforts of Coach Cabrera.
“I have an awesome coach,” Javier said. “He knows a lot about rowing.”
