Thomas Phifer ’14 has risen to prominence in the world of competitive rowing, qualifying for the Men’s 1x United States Olympic Team Trials in Sarasota, Florida and advancing to the semifinals held on Feb. 25.
The accomplishment shines particularly bright given the barriers to entry Phifer has faced, including his club team roots and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Phifer walked onto the Middlebury men’s crew team his sophomore spring with no prior experience in the sport, spending three out of four semesters rowing with the varsity squad. Even though the Middlebury club team wasn’t as serious as Division-I teams, Phifer said he enjoyed the academic-athletic balance and formed lasting friendships with his teammates.
After graduating from Middlebury, the New York native stayed in town for a year to coach the Middlebury squad, train on his own and teach German in Vergennes. His next stop took him to Oxford University, where he trained with the school’s men’s team.
“It was just for one year, but I feel like I learned a ton,” Phifer told The Campus.
Phifer’s next move was to the US Olympic Training Center, when he received an invite to train with his current team at the Penn AC Rowing Association. Despite his place among some of the best rowers in the country, Phifer still felt disadvantaged given his unconventional history in the sport. “I felt like I was still playing catch up against guys from Division-I programs,” he said.
Phifer took up single sculling — solo rowing with two oars — realizing it was more conducive to someone with a club background.
After deciding to continue with the sport competitively after college, Phifer knew that his ultimate goal was to compete in the Olympics, but that he had to rise to the occasion and train strategically and aggressively to make it a reality. “I knew it was a slim shot, but yes, it always has been my goal,” Phifer said.
Even after the hard work and training, Phifer still had to reckon with the realities of the pandemic that put the competitive world of rowing on pause for a whole year. He was unable to train with his entire team, and all of the races for the year were canceled. Before the Olympic qualifying time trials, the last sprint race he was able to compete in was in August 2019.
However, Phifer was able to overcome these challenges with flying colors in the Olympic Time Trials, progressing to the semi-finals.
In reflecting on the trials, Phifer remembered the most difficult aspect being the mental component. He was able to move past this with his philosophy of taking everything as it comes. “You need to separate yourself from the idea that everything needs to be perfect,” he said.
Despite not advancing to the final round, Phifer still has Olympic ambitions; if the 2020 Olympics aren’t a possibility, then he will look toward the 2024 games.
Thomas Phifer ’14, competitive rower, competes in U.S. Olympic Trials
Thomas Phifer ’14, a former member of the men's crew team at Middlebury, recently competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. (Photo courtesy: Thomas Phifer ’14)
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