Name: Milos Veres
Year: Junior
Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia
Position: Stroke Seat - Varsity 8/Varsity 4
Fun Fact: "I love gardening"
When did you start rowing?
"I started rowing in September 2005 when I was 13 years old"
When did you start thinking about rowing in the States and can you describe that process?
"It was 2010, I was graduating from high school in June and I knew that I had to do something else. I couldn't just settle after high school. I had quite a few friends come to the US for rowing and school and two of those friends were at Mercyhurst at the time so I basically got in touch with those two guys and asked them about the process and they briefly explained the process. I started task by task... first and foremost I had to perfect my English. I had a private teacher in Belgrade who was actually from Texas but he decided to move to Serbia to teach English. He taught me about a lot about the American life and culture as well as the whole college process."
"The main reason behind coming here...well I had two options...Option A: Stay home and find a job and work for minimum wage ($1.20/hour) without any days off. Option B: Come here to study and row. At first I had quite a few jobs lined up but I decided I didn't want to take my life in that direction so I decided to come here..."
What is it like being a student-athlete in in a foreign country?
"Its definitely very different from being a student and an athlete back home. From an academic perspective, a lot more is expected of me because I'm at a higher level, pursuing a bachelors degree. At the same time I have to manage my athletic performance and continue performing at a high level every single day. This can get very exhausting, but it is VERY, VERY rewarding. Its not just the material side of things that is rewarding, meaning the Scholarships; it is rewarding knowing that I am setting an example for my younger brother back home. It will be a wake up call for him when he graduates next year; I am raising the bar for him. I see it as a positive pressure from me, pushing him to go further in academics and in life, and never settle.
What are some of your goals before graduating from Mercyhurst University both as a rower and as a student?
"As a rower, it is definitely getting a medal at one of the championship races, starting with Dad Vails. I have a lot of personal goals that ultimately lead up to placing at a championship regatta. The student side of things is more intangible...my main goal is to create as many friendships and connections as I can so that if I stay here after I graduate I have a large network to reach out to. This will help with getting up and running once I graduate."
Can you talk about the "GoFundMe" initiative you are taking to inform our readers, and potentially encourage them to pitch in.
"I decided to start a campaign after a good friend of mine suggested it to me. It has been my dream since I started rowing to become an elite athlete. This was especially the case after I won my first National Championship title in 2008. I always used to look up to the national team guys because they always seemed very well rounded as individuals. They are all educated, good athletes with great results, and overall really good people. It is the environment I dreamed of being a part of since I started rowing. At the moment I can not make enough money to buy a ticket back home to try out for the national team this summer. My parents don't have enough [money] to spare for my ticket so it was either me asking my parents for money they don't have, or asking my friends and peers here for their support."
Finally, talk about your life after college. What are your plans?
"It all depends on how my trip back home goes" (Assuming everything works out). "The main reason of my trip back home this summer is to test my skills along side the national team; If I am good enough, meaning I will have earned a spot on the National Team, I have a reason to return home to Serbia after college. I will give it my best and try to make it on the national team, however, I my other option would be to stay here and either get my masters degree or start working."
"Next year at this time I want to know what I am doing with my life...whether that is staying here to start my life or it means going back home to continue my rowing career and pick up a life there as a member of the National Team."
No comments:
Post a Comment