TOM PARADISO

Hometown: Blue Bell, Pa.

Current Residence: Princeton, N.J.

Club Affiliation: USRowing Training Center

Began Rowing: Chestnut Hill Academy, 1995

Date of Birth: 12/7/79 

Height: 6’1” 

Weight: 150

High School: Chestnut Hill Academy

Undergraduate Education: University of Pennsylvania, 2002

Occupation: Coach at Mercer Junior Rowing Club

Current Coach: John Parker

International Results: Finished eighth in the lightweight four at the 2008 FISA World Cup stop in Lucerne...Finished 11th in the lightweight four at the 2007 FISA World Championships...Finished 14th in the lightweight four at the 2007 FISA World Cup stop in Lucerne...Finished sixth in the lightweight four at the 2007 FISA World Cup stop in Linz...Finished ninth in the lightweight four at the 2006 FISA World Championships...Finished ninth in the lightweight four at the 2005 FISA World Championships...Finished fifth in the lightweight eight at the 2004 FISA World Championships...Won silver in the lightweight eight at the 2003 FISA World Championships...Won bronze in the lightweight eight at the 2002 FISA World Championships...Won bronze in the lightweight eight at the 2001 FISA World Championships.

National Results: Finished fourth in the lightweight pair at the 2008 National Selection Regatta #2...Won the lightweight eight at the 2007 Head of the Charles...Won the lightweight four at the 2007 USRowing National Championships...Won the lightweight four at the 2007 Pan American Games Trials...Finished third in the lightweight pair at the 2007 National Selection Regatta #2...Finished sixth in the championship single at the 2006 Head of the Charles...Finished first and second, respectively, in the lightweight pair at the second and third 2006 National Selection Regattas...Finished fifth in the championship single at the 2005 Head of the Charles...Finished third in the lightweight double sculls and fifth in the lightweight single sculls at the 2005 National Selection Regattas...Won the elite eight and lightweight eight at the 2003 USRowing National Championships...Won the lightweight four at the 2002 Head of the Charles...Finished third in the elite eight at the 2002 USRowing National Championships...Finished fifth in the freshman eight at the 1999 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships...Won the quadruple sculls at the 1998 USRowing Youth Invitational.

Personal: Tom is an eight-time national team member and first-time Olympian...Tom has won medals at the world championships on both port and starboard sides...He coaches high school rowers at Mercer Junior Rowing Club in West Windsor, N.J...Every member of Tom’s immediate family has tried rowing...Tom credits his mother’s acupuncture treatments as one of the reasons he has been able to compete at the elite level...After rowing, Tom plans on coaching and continuing his education...His other hobbies include listening to and remixing music, watching movies, running, surfing, traveling, snowboarding, reading and riding his Ducati.

(updated 6/27/2008)