Orange rowing coach Kris Sanford (left) and Olympic silver medalist Helen Tanger (right).
Off the Water with 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Helen Tanger - Part II
10/23/2008 10:46:40 AM | Women's Rowing
This is Part II of SUathletics.com's interview with 2008 Olympic silver medalist and former Orange rower Helen Tanger. Tanger was a member of the Netherlands eight that won the silver medal, finishing 1.88 seconds behind the U.S. gold medal-winning shell that featured former SU All-American Anna Goodale. For Tanger, it was her second Olympic medal. She also helped the Netherlands to the bronze at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.
Tanger was back in Syracuse to visit with her former coach, Kris Sanford. She also attended practice and spoke to the 2008-09 squad about her Olympic experience in Beijing and how being part of the rowing team at Syracuse helped her achieve her goals in and out of the water.
On what it was like knowing she would be competing against Anna Goodale and the U.S. eight in Beijing:
“I knew they were fast because we had raced them at the World Cup in Lucerne and that wasn’t even their final boat yet. And Anna was in it, and she’s always nice. I like that she makes the boat every year. That’s very good. Well, when you’re up against a very good team you know that you have to be fast as well. I think that it only makes you push yourself harder because you know that the competition is out there and you need to be fast and you need to be right on your game.”
“I knew they were fast because we had raced them at the World Cup in Lucerne and that wasn’t even their final boat yet. And Anna was in it, and she’s always nice. I like that she makes the boat every year. That’s very good. Well, when you’re up against a very good team you know that you have to be fast as well. I think that it only makes you push yourself harder because you know that the competition is out there and you need to be fast and you need to be right on your game.”
On how the Beijing Games compared to her first Olympics in Athens:
“I enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous one. In Athens, we didn’t stay in the Olympic Village. We were in a hotel near the rowing course. We went to the Olympic Village after we were done with races, but that made the whole tournament not much different than a world championship. You are in a hotel, there are other teams in the hotel, and there were more teams that opted not to stay at the Olympic Village. I had expected it to be this overwhelming Olympic experience, and it wasn’t actually.
“I enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous one. In Athens, we didn’t stay in the Olympic Village. We were in a hotel near the rowing course. We went to the Olympic Village after we were done with races, but that made the whole tournament not much different than a world championship. You are in a hotel, there are other teams in the hotel, and there were more teams that opted not to stay at the Olympic Village. I had expected it to be this overwhelming Olympic experience, and it wasn’t actually.
“When I went to Beijing, I really said to myself ‘I need to take in all the impressions and I really need to pay attention.’ And I enjoyed this one more even though Athens was great as well. I mean that was my first Olympics and it was just incredible. Both were great to be at, but being in China is was just so different because I had never been there. Prior to Athens I had already been to Greece once before, but Asia was completely different. The people were different. There are so many people and they’re all so friendly and helpful. The cars were different, the buildings were different, the way the streets are is different. Of course the climate is different. It’s good to see different cultures.”
On the opening ceremonies:
“I watched on television. The Dutch team has a policy that if you race within 24 hours you are not allowed to go to the opening ceremony. And if you race within 48 hours they strongly advise you not to go because you have to leave the Olympic village at about 6 or 7 p.m. in the evening and you get home at about 1 or 2 in the morning. And it’s a long evening, on your feet, walking around in the heat. It’s just too tiring. Well, I knew we weren’t allowed to go. We weren’t allowed to go in Athens either. I watched it on TV and it took quite a long time, so actually I went to bed like when the opening ceremony was still going on and woke up with the fireworks.”
“I watched on television. The Dutch team has a policy that if you race within 24 hours you are not allowed to go to the opening ceremony. And if you race within 48 hours they strongly advise you not to go because you have to leave the Olympic village at about 6 or 7 p.m. in the evening and you get home at about 1 or 2 in the morning. And it’s a long evening, on your feet, walking around in the heat. It’s just too tiring. Well, I knew we weren’t allowed to go. We weren’t allowed to go in Athens either. I watched it on TV and it took quite a long time, so actually I went to bed like when the opening ceremony was still going on and woke up with the fireworks.”
On her experience at Syracuse:
“It was just unforgettable. I am truly convinced that if I hadn’t been on the Syracuse rowing team, or had been at Syracuse, I would not have made it to the national team. The way Coach Sanford makes everyone work as a team, the way she runs practices, every practice counts. There’s no time for a bad practice. You need to have good practices all the time and that’s what really made me focus on my rowing. And I made the national team immediately when I got home from Syracuse. It was a very good experience.”
“It was just unforgettable. I am truly convinced that if I hadn’t been on the Syracuse rowing team, or had been at Syracuse, I would not have made it to the national team. The way Coach Sanford makes everyone work as a team, the way she runs practices, every practice counts. There’s no time for a bad practice. You need to have good practices all the time and that’s what really made me focus on my rowing. And I made the national team immediately when I got home from Syracuse. It was a very good experience.”
On the one thing that stands about her time on the Syracuse rowing team:
“What I remember the most is that we just had a very tight group. We worked very hard at practice, but then again we also had a lot of fun together and that made us a good team. We were willing to work hard for each other. We were willing to push each other further, but then again still have fun with each other.”
“What I remember the most is that we just had a very tight group. We worked very hard at practice, but then again we also had a lot of fun together and that made us a good team. We were willing to work hard for each other. We were willing to push each other further, but then again still have fun with each other.”
On what she is talked to this year’s Syracuse team about:
“If there’s one message I wanted to send it was that hard work pays off. Of course not everyone has what it takes to be an Olympian because otherwise there would be a million Olympians, but if you do work hard you can accomplish whatever you want to do.”
“If there’s one message I wanted to send it was that hard work pays off. Of course not everyone has what it takes to be an Olympian because otherwise there would be a million Olympians, but if you do work hard you can accomplish whatever you want to do.”
On what she is up to now:
“I graduated from med school. I went to school in the Netherlands. I am pursuing a career in pediatrics. I actually have a job interview to go to when I get home. It is a big teaching hospital in Amsterdam.”
“I graduated from med school. I went to school in the Netherlands. I am pursuing a career in pediatrics. I actually have a job interview to go to when I get home. It is a big teaching hospital in Amsterdam.”
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