Parrent commits to Robert Morris
Gabby Parrent’s rowing setback turned out to be a set up for success.
The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student at Saint Paul Catholic High School began rowing in Grade 9 but the next year felt something was off and took a break from the sport.
“I quit but I just continued my journey,” Parrent said. “It was extremely hard at times. Quitting is never easy and not something that I am proud of but it’s something that I feel was definitely a very important part of my journey and made me realize how important this sport was to me.”
Parrent said a bad showing in an ergometer competition got the better of her before she heard an announcement at school that got her thinking.
“It was something about not quitting and it really stuck with me and it really kind of made me shift focus,” she said. “It was that was the wrong decision and, no, I shouldn’t quit. I need to keep going because if I quit then it won’t happen at all.
“Obviously it’s not going to happen overnight but from the positions I’ve been in and the times I’ve lost hope, I’ve regained that hope again from my team and from people around me, pushing me to do everything that I really wouldn’t be able to do without them.”
Parrent’s support group was on hand Friday morning when she signed a letter of intent to row and study public relations and advertising at Robert Morris University beginning this fall.
As well as her teammates and coaches, Parrent’s father and mother, Shaun Parrent and Sarah Parrent, her grandparents, Damian Parrent and Mayla Parrent, and her aunts, Avril Fioravanti and Kim Stewart, were all in attendance.
“It feels really good,” Gabby Parrent said. “It feels that the four years of hard work that I put in and dedication has really paid off.
“To see the amount of support that I have around me, and just to have my entire support system from family to teammates to friends, just really puts a good mood in it and it makes it feel real and gives it a more authentic kind of feel that I have done this and this is how I got here. And really, I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for all of them.”
She feels particularly inspired by her father, who works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Virginia.
“He has put in like a ton of hard work into his work and his fitness journey too. He used to not be in like the best shape, but he got himself up and he decided he was going to get in shape and I admire his discipline for things,” Gabby Parrent said. “He’s just been my biggest inspiration.”
Gabby Parrent feels Robert Morris is a perfect fit.
“It really drew me in. From the moment I stepped on campus I just felt like I belonged there,” she said. “The entire team was super welcoming and they got along really well. They made me feel like almost part of a team and I wasn’t even signed or anything yet. And I really liked the coaches. They were super supportive of everything and they were super nice. I just felt that it was my home and my calling to go there. The second I looked at it online, I just felt that instant connection to it.”
Gabby Parrent admitted it is a relief to have the process completed.
“It feels really good to have it off my plate. It was definitely a big stressor. There were times where I didn’t think it was going to happen. It just feels good to have it over and done with. It’s one less thing to worry about.”
Parent generally rows in a quad, but it was her race in a single at the Central Ontario Rowing Association (CORA) Regatta in Welland she chose to highlight.
“My first single race, which is something I struggle in, but I came out strong placing sixth overall battling against some very good and strong rowers. I felt very proud of myself as it was out of my comfort zone,” she said.
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