Two-time national team member Josh Inman won a gold medal in the men's eight at the 2005 FISA World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan. Click here for Josh's bio.

Now that you've had a month for it to sink in, describe your feelings about winning the gold medal at the world championships in Gifu, Japan?

It feels great to have won a gold medal in Gifu. I feel more motivated than ever to train hard and get faster.

What were your expectations going into the championships?

I really just expected to be ready for anything. No matter how well run these regattas are, not everything will go as planned. I had very high expectations of our crew in practices and races. I knew we would all have to perform at our best even during practices to stay sharp for the race. I definitely expected a very high level of competition from the other crews.

Did you alter those expectations or your game plan during the week? If so, how?

I didn't personally have much of a plan other than to get lots of rest and get the best possible strokes in during practice. That was pretty easy to stick to. I know the weather conditions affected our practice plans. The conditions during the first week were a bit surprising.

While you got to race in the four with last year, this was your first year competing in an Olympic event at the world level. Aside from the color of medal, how did racing in the eight differ from your experience in the four with?

It felt really great to be in an olympic event. Having all the senior events together definitely made for a more professional environment.

For those who don't know, how did you become involved with rowing?

I was recruited my freshman year at Oregon State based on my height.

While not quite a national powerhouse like Harvard, Cal or Princeton, Oregon State has really made a name for itself over the past few years at the national level. Talk about your experiences at Oregon State and how that program has been able to grow and flourish.

The sport of rowing is virtually unknown in Oregon. I never heard of it until I was recruited in college. A lot of the students at Oregon State did know about the crew team, though. I think that the success of the crew has brought some attention to it on the campus and that success has improved the recruiting ability of the team and the level of support from the university. That helps the team to improve and grow each year, but I know it took a lot of work from the coaches in recruiting and training novice rowers from stroke one.

When did you realize you wanted to continue rowing at the elite level?

In 2003 when I was finishing up my degree, I decided to really start training seriously. It took a while after my last year rowing to realize how much I missed the sport. Rowing at the elite level seemed like a more interesting and unique opportunity than anything else available to me. I haven't really had any second thoughts since then.

What are your most memorable moments in rowing?

Winning the world championships this year will definitely make the list. My first world championships last year was also memorable. I feel like my rowing experiences so far have been a string of memorable events, each one more so than the last.

What are your goals both inside and outside of rowing?

My main goal is just to enjoy life. I really enjoy rowing and all the great experiences that come with it. I find I'm most successful if I focus on the day-to-day process rather than the end goal. Do good things and good things will happen.

What advice would you give a younger college athlete or a high school rower with national team aspirations?

My advice is not to get intimidated by the amount of work ahead and just take your training day by day. An entire season is overwhelming but getting better each day is doable.

What do you like to do outside of rowing?

I really enjoy the outdoors and traveling. After worlds this year, I went backpacking in Vermont. That was a great time.

What's your favorite sport outside of rowing to watch and/or play?

There are other sports?

What's gets the most play on your MP3 or cd player?

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of Waylon Jennings. I mostly listen to rock and country music.