Get to Know Roman Pjajka
March 09, 2020 | Men's Rowing
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.
"Easy, my novice year when we won every single event at our regional championships," Pjajka said when talking about his favorite memory from club rowing. "It had never been done at our club and it meant a lot to our coach -- it meant a lot to us."
In his sophomore season Pjajka raced in the two-seat of the Varsity 4+ at the Head of the Charles, ultimately helping the Beavers to a fourth-place finish at the heralded event. Even though it was just as big of a team moment, Pjajka takes his favorite OSU rowing memory personally.
"I went (to the Head of the Charles) with a bunch of guys who were seniors at the time and it was intimidating for sure," Pjajka said. "It was a great team achievement but for me it was a little personal too. I never had the greatest form or technique when I was in high school and during my freshman year (at Oregon State), so I had been racing in the Varsity boats. When I finally cracked the code and got to compete at that crazy of an event for my first time it was incredible."
Even after proving himself in his sophomore season and consistently racing with the Varsity boat since then, Roman says he thinks he works harder now than he did then. His stick-with-it mindset goes along with what he says is the most important lesson he learned through crew.
"Just be passionate," Pjajka said. "I think that applies to a lot of things in life. Rowing isn't something you always love. There's certainly a ton of moments you love about it, but you don't love workouts before the sun is up -- nobody does. But I'm passionate about it and that's what gives me the drive to get to the moments I do love, and they're even more worth it because of the work."
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