Most of us have been at an age where being seen anywhere with your parents is uncool.
But putting that aside has led one Hamilton student on a journey to competing in an elite rowing event in the Granite City this month.
Michael Troy, 19, began rowing after his father had pestered him relentlessly and soon quickly found his calling, to the extent he has competed three times at the Scottish Championships and rowed in the Scotland team twice.
And, on March 14, he hopes to continue his success while representing Robert Gordon University in the 25th annual Aberdeen Standard Investments Boat Race.
The biology student said: “My dad was getting into rowing and kept trying to convince me to join him, but I was playing a high level of football and couldn’t see why I would leave that to do something else.
“But then I got injured and had appendicitis, and I struggled to come back to the team so I took a couple of months off – the first time I had never played a sport in my life.
“My mum was always telling me to go rowing just to keep my dad happy – and on that first time on the water I remember trying to hide how much I was enjoying it; to not give him the satisfaction.”
Although he might not have always been able to admit it, his father Graham is something of an inspiration for him.
The teenager said: “He’s been to competitions all over the place and won medals – and I didn’t want to be beaten by him.
“There’s a bit of friendly family competition between him and me and my little brother Scott, which keeps us motivated.
His father said: “I came to rowing fairly late in life, when I joined Strathclyde Park Rowing Club. But it’s one of those sports where, before you know it, you are entering competitions.
“We’ve done the Scottish Championships, some competitions on the Clyde, and travelled to the World Masters. I would never describe myself as an elite rower, but we’ve won medals in Inverness and at Strathclyde Park.
“When Michael struggled to get back into football, I knew he should be taking part in sport of some kind, so I tried to convince him to join me rowing.
“At that age, it’s not easy to convince your son to do anything with you! But he came down and quickly got into it – he gets really focused on whatever sport he is participating in, which is great.”
The Aberdeen Standard Investments Boat Race runs along the River Dee from the Bridge of Dee to the Aberdeen Boat Club, allowing spectators the opportunity to watch the action unfold from the riverbanks.
Racing begins at 3.35pm on Saturday, March 14 with the title race at 5.0pm.
For all the latest updates on the crews and their training, follow the Aberdeen Standard Investments Boat Race on Twitter @2020boatrace, Instagram @abdnboatrace and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/abdnboatrace
