UF student rows competitively for Egypt

When Yahia Eldeib was training for the 2017 Rowing World Championships, he often spent his days alone in the Florida crew boat house or Newnan’s Lake.

Eldeib, a 19-year-old UF computer engineering sophomore, worked on his craft twice a day, averaging at least 10 practices a week.

Since Eldeib was 17, he has rowed competitively for the Egypt national team. In September he represented Egypt in the Rowing World Championships in Sarasota, Florida.

At the championship, as the youngest person in his event, Eldeib placed 22nd in the lightweight double race.  

“I was racing against world champions, Olympic champions,” he said. “Competing against them was the most awesome experience for me.”

Eldeib began his rowing career his freshman year of high school while living in Egypt. He moved to the country at the age of 11 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Both of his parents are Egyptian, which inspired their move.

“My dad wanted me and my little sisters to know the language and culture of Egypt,” Eldeib said.

Eldeib was quick to success once he began rowing.

As a freshman, he placed third in Egypt’s under-16 junior national championships. The next year he placed second in the under-18 junior nationals. His senior year he again placed second in nationals and was recruited by Egypt’s under-18 national team.

While on the national team, Eldeib went to the Arab rowing championships to represent Egypt in 2016.

He started as a freshman at UF that year. Eldeib said he chose UF for the superior education compared to Egyptian schools.

During his freshman season, Eldeib and the rest of his lightweight four team placed third in club nationals, the first time a UF men’s lightweight boat placed in the top three, he said.

Over the summer, Eldeib practiced in Gainesville to prepare for the national competition.

Joseph Lennon, a 21-year-old UF economics senior and president of the UF men’s club rowing team, witnessed Eldeib’s constant training.

“[Eldeib] did a lot of hard work over the summer,” Lennon said.

Lennon said he’s glad Eldeib joined the UF team, and that the 19-year-old is “the best teammate you could ask for.”

“He was never cocky and never had an aura of arrogance about him,” he said.    

Although the practices were sometimes difficult for Eldeib, the support of his team members on the Florida club rowing team, as well as his love for the sport, kept him going, he said.

When Eldeib gets into the water almost every day, the calming, repetitive sensation and the water’s scenery takes away all of his outside stressors.

“You’re in the moment,” he said. “You’re focusing on each stroke and making everything as efficient as you can.”

While Eldeib plans to continue rowing with UF, he hopes to move forward to a bigger competition. Although he’s already competed in one World Championship, he’s looking forward to another, wide-spread event.  

“My biggest goal is to compete in the 2020 Olympics,” he said.

@camille_respess

crespess@alligator.org

Eldeib (front) and his partner row in the lightweight double race during the 2017 Rowing Championship in Sarasota, Florida.