CHECKING IN WITH ... DJ BOND
(Editor's note: The Day will be publishing a profile of a spring athlete for each day of the canceled high school athletic season.) School: East Lyme High School Class: Senior Sport: Rowing Position: Starboard/sculling College choice: Norwich University in
Northfield, Vt.
Chosen major: Criminal justice
Athlete you grew up admiring: My older brother Mitchell, Mahe Drysdale (New Zealand Olympic rowing champion)
Favorite high school class: Advanced aquarium science
Checking in with DJ: "To all my teammates, I've seen you on your worst days and your best days at practice. No matter what happens, keep your heads on straight and focus on moving together. Just remember that it's not just you in that boat, you have eight other people depending on you to work with them to earn that gold medal."
What you need to know about DJ:
Bond, who attends the Marine Science Magnet High School but competes for East Lyme, will attend Norwich University as a part of its Corps of Cadets in hopes of landing a spot at the Naval Academy the following year. Bond's older siblings, Mitchell and Sarah are Naval Academy graduates. "We haven't had any family that went to the academy before my brother," Bond said. "He went for a visit and decided 'I'm going here no matter what it takes.'" Bond also credits Mitchell for introducing him to rowing. "My brother was rowing in high school and he sat me down on the rowing machine one day and had me try for about 30 minutes," Bond said. "From that point on, in third grade, I started to use it more and more." Bond helped lift East Lyme's first varsity eight to a sixth-place finish last season at the Connecticut Public Schools Rowing Association championship and has seen the program grow each season since his arrival. "(I was looking forward) to seeing if we could medal at state championships, especially after how close we were last year," he said. Bond lists winning fall New England championships three years in a row as a member of the Blood Street Sculls as the highlight of his rowing career. The 6-foot Bond weighs approximately 165 pounds, making him more of a lightweight rower, but he can hold his own with the heavyweights. He finished 17th of 152 competitors in the junior men's under-19 division at the CRASH B Sprints (World Indoor Rowing Championship) in March. East Lyme coach Mike Shugrue calls him "as unique and noteworthy an athlete that has been through the program." Bond enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking and diving and his "dream career" is that of a Maine Game Warden. His favorite movie is "Ford v. Ferrari."