It's was a tight finish rower Maggie Hogan knew all too well.
The 14-time national champion from Philadelphia came close to qualifying for the summer Olympic games in London games by a photo finish four years ago.
Once again, her canoe was off by inches at the Pan American Championships Olympic qualifier Friday at Lake Lanier.
But, the determination to finish finally brought the moment Hogan had been waiting for.
“It hasn’t quite hit me yet. This has been a dream of mine for some time,” Hogan said.
“I set out on this journey 10 years ago and missed it twice. To come away with an Olympic bid in this race, it’s a dream come true.”
Hogan, 35, placed second in the qualifier finals, but since Team Canada already bas a bid, Hogan is now on her way to Rio this summer.
It comes after a decade of ups and downs. Like many athletes, there were times Hogan questioned whether to give up.
“At the time, I was struggling to even hit the times that I had been hitting myself,” she said.
“You have to make a change and take responsibility for your results, and I did it. And, this time, it has paid off big time.”
Hogan’s relentless attitude and partnership with a new coach, Michelle Erey who also competed in the Olympics with South Africa, was just the right combination.
Hogan can relish on her accomplishment for a brief amount of time, but then it’s all eyes on her next goal:
Gold.
