Dom Sullivan proves that dedication and the right mentality brings great success.
At the age of 13 Dom joined Globe Rowing Club after seeing the success of his brother in the sport of rowing. Rowing offered him the opportunity to become an elite athlete, pushing himself to his limits and most importantly giving him the chance to beat his brother. “I never let him beat me and I always strived to be better than him!”, a great mentality for any sportsman. Dom’s enthusiasm and dedication to the sport was obvious as it would take him an hour to travel to the docks, however he persisted and achieved great things.
A “moment that sticks out to me the most” was in 2016. At the age of 14, Dom represented his club in the National Scullery regatta, the National Championships and the Nationals School’s Regatta, all over the space of one weekend. He won 2 golds and a silver, proving that he was made of true mettle and one of, maybe even, the best in his age group. What makes this feat even more magnificent was that in the National School’s regatta he beat all the j16 (16-year-old) crews whilst being 2 years younger, an amazing achievement that demonstrated his true talent!
When it came to juggling rowing with school and other commitments Dom was on top of it all. “The busier I got the more organised I got!”. Dom aced his GCSEs through planning ahead and utilising his time well, a tremendous skill for any student. In his sixth form years he showed that he was probably one of the most dedicated and organised people in his year group through rigorous training, attending the World Rowing Championships and practicing and performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A gold at the 2018 World Rowing Championships and his entry and now current study at Yale also proves how well Dom has managed with his passion for rowing whilst upholding incredible academic excellence.
A question that came to mind was “How did you manage to be at the top of your game?”. Dom tells me that “Everything would be 100% and I want to be the best at everything I do”. His older brother certainly played a part in his success as “2 years is large gap for a young person” and he always tried his hardest to close that gap as best as he could. Dom was completely committed to his training and “I tried my hardest at everything I did”. “I always had goals and I had the idea to be the best in my age group, it was something I always chased after”. There was also a sense of self-respect, Dom had to keep on top of his standards and prove to himself he was the best.
A lot of people also wonder why rowers and all athletes put themselves through the pain of rigorous training and constant pressure. Dom has an answer; “It’s about why you turn up, what are your goals and whether you want to be the best”. Pain is possibly the biggest factor that separates athletes from true athletes however “there’s no incredible barrier to break through” only “ways to enjoy the pain”. “There’s something great about giving it your all for the guys behind you and a sense of achievement you can give yourself, it’s a discipline”. However most importantly “you get out what you put in”.
It’s sad to hear that Dom suffered an injury in which “I pushed too hard”. However, Dom has found another way of pursuing his interest in rowing by coaching for Globe Rowing Club. “The Club offers lots of support to everyone involved”. Outside of the thin and tight boat “I see and hear everything”. Coaching offers a different experience to rowing as “I see people becoming better people, especially with the discipline and structure the sport provides.” It’s something great for young people to learn and a skill that will prove handy in life.
I must highlight how dedication and true self-commitment to rowing has brought Dom such great success. It’s wonderful to see how the right mentality produces the greatest athletes and Dom is such an inspiration to all future and current athletes willing to train and push hard.
