Three years ago, Akeem Smith struggled to keep up his grades at Baltimore City?s New Era Academy High School. His self-esteem was low and his weight ? at nearly 250 pounds ? was a problem.
But all that changed once Smith, now 18, and several of his schoolmates were encouraged to get involved in row boating.
On Sunday, a 70-pounds-lighter Smith ? who?s been nominated by Rep. Elijah Cummings to attend the U.S. Naval Academy next fall ? and his teammates won the grand prize Honeywell Cup in the annual Baltimore Rowing Club Juniors? Boat Christening and High School Championships.
“I?ve made a complete turnaround. My grades are way up and I?ve lost a lot of weight keeping in shape for rowing,” Smith said with a wide smile. “I had planned on playing football, but I tried rowing after talking with my mentor when I was [a high school freshman] and I?ve been doing it ever since.”
During the races, more than 450 participants from private prep schools, public schools and at-risk neighborhoods competed on 13 teams and eight boats .
The BRC team on which Smith and James Freeman, 17, competed won on the boat Pat Turner, named for the Baltimore entrepreneur who started the competitions in 2005.
Turner said his company, which is working on a billion-dollar waterfront development project, in essence has become a neighbor of some of Baltimore?s inner-city youth.
“We learned there?s a juniors program at BRC but they weren?t getting any neighborhood kids in it,” Turner said. “So we sponsored a free program that takes in 10 to 25 youths each year, and they?ve done an absolutely wonderful job. The whole point is to give these kids a chance to get off the street.”
Freeman, who?s being courted by an Ivy League university, added that rowing is a little-known sport among minorities.
“I think it?s a great opportunity for students like myself because it leads to positive things in the future,” he said. “It?s also made me open up and be more social.”
Following the competitions, BRC named and launched three new boats ? all donated by Turner?s organization in hopes of promoting rowing and expanding interest among more underprivileged youth.
