When he was entering his freshman year of high school Roman Pjajka took a chance encounter and turned it into a passion. Eight years later, he's still pushing for it.
"In middle school I played basketball but by high school I was kind of over it," Pjajka said with a chuckle. "We were looking at houses and by chance our real-estate agents was the mother of one of the best rowers at the club I ended up with. I showed up to practice and enjoyed it -- I guess I just never stopped enjoying it."
That rowing club was Greenbrae, California's Marin Rowing Association where Pjajka, now in his senior year at Oregon State studying marketing and in the first leg of his last spring season, would go on to be part of a 'first' in their regional championships.