Meena Baher (courtesy photo)
Carlsbad CA— While many of us have been setting alarms to watch our favorite Olympic events in Tokyo, Connie and Cam Baher are also preparing for early mornings to watch their granddaughter — and future Olympic hopeful — at the 2021 World Rowing Junior Championships in Bulgaria.
“She’ll be on around 2 a.m. our time, so if we can find how to watch it, we will. If we can get up to watch them put a man on the moon, we can certainly watch our granddaughter row,” chuckled Connie from their home at La Costa Glen senior living community in Carlsbad.
Their granddaughter, Meena Baher, a standout athlete from Mountain View, will be competing in the women’s quadruple sculls. What makes her ascension to the junior national team even more remarkable is, after success on the basketball court and track, she only started rowing last July amid the pandemic.
“She’s always been into sports, but it turns out this is really her passion and she’s got the build and discipline for it,” said Connie. “She’s had some great trainers, and now it’s become a real focus for her.”
Her passion and dedication have inspired her grandparents, particularly Cam. With tips and techniques gleaned from Meena, he hits the rowing machines three days a week at La Costa Glen’s bustling fitness center. While he’s yet to best his granddaughter’s time at 2,000 meters, he recently set a new personal best of 10 minutes 58.7 seconds!
Connie says with Olympic spirit sweeping through their community right now, Bulgaria could be the first step to watching their granddaughter star in Paris in 2024 or Los Angeles in 2028.
“It’s certainly possible; the Olympics are a logical next goal,” she said, adding Meena is already getting recruitment interest from universities as she heads into her senior year of high school. “One step at a time, but it’s always good to have a goal like that.”