Coming Home with Gold
by Janine Frank
Many of us dream of it, very few achieve it. But Esther
Lofgren knows what it’s like to win Olympic gold.
“It’s the best feeling in the world!” she says.
Lofgren achieved that remarkable triumph at the 2012
Olympics in London last month where she competed in Women's 8 Rowing. The race
itself lasted just 6 minutes and 10.59 seconds, but the sweet victory was years
in the making and now a memory that will be treasured for a lifetime.
Lofgren, a 27-year-old from Newport Beach, California, first
started rowing when she was in high school. She was playing volleyball at the
time and needed a way to cross-train. But she got hooked on the sport and
eventually switched over to rowing exclusively.
Lofgren describes rowing as an endurance power sport.
“Besides balancing in a long, tippy boat, a race is equivalent to power-lifting
as quickly as you can for 5 to 7 minutes.” She says a lot of the training that
goes into rowing is logging miles and miles in the boat to build up the lungs
and muscles for the more intense challenge of racing.
During training for London, Lofgren discovered Cheribundi, a
drink that she says is ideal for those in endurance sports. “I drink Cheribundi
about once a day, especially after endurance cardio workouts when I need to
replenish glycogen stores and get antioxidants in my body.”
Lofgren says the Whey Cheribundi with added protein is very
similar to the home-made recovery drink she used earlier in the year before she
discovered Cheribundi. “But with the bonus of taking zero prep and being really
easy to toss in my gym bag,” she adds.
And since she’s a national team athlete, she appreciates how
wholesome Cheribundi is. “I am subject to random drug testing and it’s really
nice to have a supplement that is quality tested so I don’t have to worry about
contamination. It’s just a wholesome product that’s great for recovery and is
what it says it is,” Lofgren explains.
Rowing may come somewhat naturally to Lofgren considering
her parents were also elite U.S. rowers. She says they’ve been her biggest inspiration.
“My mom was actually the last woman cut from the 1984 Olympic quadruple sculls,
a boat that went on to win gold,” she explains. “I was cut from the 2008 boat
that also went on to win gold.”
But she was determined to go to the Olympics and continued
with the sport hoping for a 2012 opportunity. When it materialized, Lofgren
felt deeply grateful to those who helped her get there. “As soon as we crossed
the finish line, I was totally overcome. I thought about all of the people who’d
believed in me, who’d supported me through all of the training it took to win
gold.”
So what’s next for someone who finally achieved her lifelong
goal?
“I’m not sure. Right now, I’m looking for a job. I’m giving
the real world a shot for the next several months, but I’m leaving the door
open on whether I want to keep rowing.”
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With Lionel Richie in the green room of the Today Show. |
Even though she’s won a gold medal, Lofgren says she still
has a couple more athletic goals she would like to achieve. “I’ve just started
road biking and I’m getting ready to do a century ride: 100 miles! I love
running and am also working towards running my first marathon this fall.”
After winning gold it could be hard to stay motivated for
new challenges, but Lofgren says that’s not the case. “In life, I go by the
mantra “Trust the Journey.” All of the ups and downs I have been through in
rowing and in life make the great things that happen that much more special. I
don’t ever wish for things to be easy, only worth it.”
And as for 2016? “Everyone keeps asking about Rio, which is
way too far away to think about…but man! Who wouldn’t want to do this again?”
Janine Frank lives in Lafayette, Colorado with her husband, two sons and golden retriever. She writes about fitness, natural products and the great outdoors.