At 23, Frank N’Drey became the first Olympic rower from Ivory Coast when he competed at the Tokyo 2020 Games. With the guidance of his coach, former Canadian Olympic rower Timothy Turner, N’Dri was able to honor the ambition of his late father, a man who was a national kayaking champion. His father introduced N’Dri to watersports and continued to inspire him to become a better rower.
“I have my father’s face in my head when I cry,” says N’Dree. “He was always telling me that as long as you’re crying, as long as you’re breathing, don’t give up – keep going till the end.”
Now, N’Dri wants other Ivorian rowers to be able to emulate his Olympic success. He says one obstacle to increasing participation in Ivory Coast is the belief that water sports are unsafe.
“Parents are very afraid of water and” [for] Their kids go to it,” says N’Dree.
To counter this, N’Dri is planning a youth meet day to speak up about rowing and allay any fears surrounding it. Through community engagement programs, N’Dri hopes to help produce the next generation of rowing professionals in the country.
Another challenge is the lack of funding for equipment and training. N’Dri believes the sport needs more support from the country’s sports ministry and the World Rowing Federation.
‘If I stop working out, I’ll stop rowing’
Despite representing his country at the Olympics, N’Dri hasn’t been able to row full-time. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, he earns money as a toll booth collector in the city of Abidjan. “I have to work to feed myself, but also to help my family,” N’Dry says. “If I stop working out, I have to stop rowing too.”
Still, the busy schedule doesn’t stop N’Dri from training every day. Waking up to the 4:30 alarm, he fits in a training session to improve his endurance, physical strength and technique. N’Dri believes this level of discipline is necessary to compete at the international level. However, getting financial support from governing authorities to train well is “a battle that will be a long, very long one,” he says.
Now based in Canada, N’Dri’s coach tackles Rover’s struggle to balance training with his day job. “He… has to dedicate himself to his goal of going to the Olympics,” says Turner. “It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort.”
The sport continues to grow on the continent. According to the World Rowing Organisation, in 1992, rowers from only two African nations – South Africa and Zimbabwe – qualified for the Olympic Games. In the Tokyo 2020 Games, rovers from 13 African countries including Benin, Morocco and Namibia qualified.
Faced with increasing competition, N’Dri continues to train hard every day. “In rowing, everything is important,” he says. “Every detail counts. You shouldn’t miss anything, you shouldn’t leave anything to chance.”