Pine-Richland HS rowing coach set to compete for Olympic gold

PITTSBURGH — Florin Curuea the Pine-Richland High School's rowing coach and the founder of the Pittsburgh Rowing Club had dreamed of competing for Romania in the Olympics. His boat narrowly missed qualifying for Athens in 2004. He didn't have the opportunity to qualify in 2008 but this year he returned to Romania to fulfill his dream and inspire his rowers back in Pittsburgh.

"All of them told me, ‘Best of luck,’ and they told me that I was an example for them," Olympic rower Florin Curuea said. "It means to put something in your head and to go and achieve your dream."

Curuea said he had an unfulfilled dream.

"I was missing something that I told to myself when I was younger," Curuea said. "I said that I wanted to go to the Olympic Games."

Curuea and the Romanian men's four will compete in the Olympic semifinals Thursday and he told Channel 11's Bill Phillips that he believes they can win a medal, but at this point his reward may come from teaching us not to give up on our dreams.

"You can’t take it for free but if you put in the work, you’re going to get it," Curuea said. "I will show them that nothing is impossible."

WPXI