4 minute read
Alyssa Go
WRITTEN BY RA SOLOMON
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ENTERING COLLEGE, Alyssa Go (5 AB IS) had never rowed before. However, after being introduced and transitioning to the sport, Alyssa has since become one of the most notable members of the Ateneo Rowing Team (ART). Throughout her collegiate rowing career, Alyssa bagged numerous accolades and has represented the Philippines in the 2021 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last May in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Now, as the outgoing captain of the women’s team and recipient of the The GUIDON-Moro Lorenzo Sportswoman of the Year award, Alyssa stands at the brink of a future with endless possibilities, emboldened by her years as a student athlete.
LOVE AT FIRST ROW
Far from the water, Alyssa was a part of her volleyball varsity team back in high school. Coming into college, Alyssa did not initially plan on joining the rowing team. However, in her sophomore year, she was invited by an old teammate to try out for ART. Alyssa obliged and has been an integral part of the team ever since.
Proving her natural prowess and passion for the sport, Alyssa bagged bronze in the 2019 Varsity Boat Race in Malaysia in her first year with the team. Eventually, she would have the opportunity to serve as the women’s team captain for two years—during her junior and senior year.
As the COVID-19 pandemic put sporting events to a halt, the ART along with Alyssa transitioned to indoor rowing. Competing in various competitions internationally, Alyssa won silver in the 2021 500m under-23 lightweight women’s Asian continental qualifiers and consequently placed sixth in the Asian Games. Last January, Alyssao improved on her 2021 finish as she placed second in the 2022 Asian Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships.
According to Alyssa, she fell in love with the sport because it was unlike anything she had seen before. “It’s something that’s really different from most of the sports that are seen on TV. I wanted to try out and when you start doing a sport [and] you stay longer, the more you [want] to excel in that sport,” she expresses.
EXCELLING THROUGH THE TIDE
After her impressive performances with the ART, Alyssa eventually became a member of the Philippine National Rowing Team last December 2021. Proving why she is a valuable member of the national team, Alyssa once again showcased her skillset as she won the national team’s mini regatta.
However, being a member of the national team as well as leading the ART proved to be a challenging task for Alyssa. The online setting due to the pandemic acted as a blessing in disguise as it allowed her to balance her academics and training with the national team better.
“The circumstances would be different for me if there was onsite training [with Ateneo] because I would not have pushed for the national team. I would have just led the Ateneo team,” she shares. “There was not much time to do academics and the best way to be able to go to school is to have online classes.”
As a member of the Philippine team, Alyssa was a part of the rowing team that competed in the recently held 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. In the competition, Alyssa won a prestigious bronze medal in the women’s lightweight quadruple sculls. “It was a bit nerve-racking [at first] because representing the Philippines in the SEA games is such a huge step for me but after a while I felt happy and honored to represent and fight for the country I grew up in,” she mentions.
ONTO GREATER THINGS
After her competitions with the ART and the Philippine national team, Alyssa expresses that rowing will always be a part of her life. However, according to her, it may be time to move on from the sport and focus on finding a job or help in their family business once she graduates.
“I plan on retiring from rowing, but I will still row from time to time. It makes me sad to do so but I feel like it’s time to start focusing on other things.” Alyssa mentions.
Reminiscing at her stint as a member of the ART and the Philippine national team, Alyssa acknowledges how every competition she has competed in has been monumental in forming the person that she is today. She shares, “They helped me become the athlete I am today and all of them molded me to become the best possible version of myself. All my races gave me different experiences to learn from.”
