Radnor High School rower Stephen Ching is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
A senior co-captain on the Radnor boys’ crew team, Ching currently has the fastest erg time on the team (6:33), and his Lightweight 8 boat finished in first place in the first two Manny Flick Regatta this season. Ching also was part of the Radnor Men’s Lightweight 8 team that finished third at the 2015 Stotesbury Cup. He finished first at the 2015 Main Line Slide, and second at the 2016 Main Line Slide.
Q: What has been your most memorable experience at Manny Flick so far this season – can you share it with us?
A: The [first] two Flicks have been the strongest start to the spring season the lightweights have ever had. These races put us right on the heels of Saint Joe’s Prep and put us in a great position to beat them later in the season. Our ultimate goal is to beat the Prep and win Stotesbury.
Q: You currently have the fastest erg time on the team. What is the key to your success?
A: When I do a 2K on the erg, I set my goal for a pace that I think is unsustainable and out of my reach. Then, I prove myself wrong by hitting my goal splits and focusing on not letting the piece get the best of me. I would say that the key to my success on the erg is a combination of my ability to power through the long body of the piece and my ability to sprint through the start and end of the piece.
Q: What was your most vivid memory of Stotesbury last year – can you share it with us?
A: The most memorable moment from Stotesbury last year was hearing my coach, Alec Hurley, screaming from the grandstands in excitement.
Q: Can you tell us a little about the Main Line Slide, and what you think was the key to your success there?
A: The way I rowed at the Main Line Slide was the same way that I row all of my 2ks. I did not focus on what I can or can not do, instead I focused on what I need to do to win. Then I just went for it.
A: The way I lead on the team is by example. My co-captain Zach Pepper leads through his words. The combination of our leadership skills is very important to the team.
Q: Do you think the Lightweight 8 is the boat that best fits your skills, and if so, why?
A: I do believe that the lightweight eight is the most ideal boat for me because of my size. A typical successful rower is typically well over six feet tall and I’m standing at only five foot ten. The lightweight boat allows me to remain competitive with other rowers my size.
Q: Who have been your biggest crew mentors, and what was the important thing each of them taught you?
A: My biggest crew mentor is my freshman and junior year coach, Alec Hurley. He taught me how to be tough on the erg. I owe my success in rowing to him.
Q: What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you’d like to major in? Is there a career path that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: I am currently very interested in going to either Temple, Drexel, or University of Delaware. Wherever I decide to go, I want to be able to row. I want to major in bioengineering and then pursue a path in biomechanics. With this I intend to develop prosthetic limbs as a career.
Q: What extracurricular activities are you involved in at Radnor other than crew?
A: I am involved with the Asian Culture Club. In this club we raise money from charities around Asia. This year we have been raising funds for an orphanage in Cambodia and a charity that gives Filipino a better education.
Fun facts – Stephen Ching
