Carmel Valley students and rowers Gabriella Bigler and Thalia Makris won a national championship at the 2026 US Rowing Youth Nationals, held June 11-14 in Sarasota, Florida.
Gabriella 17, is a rising senior at Canyon Crest Academy and Thalia, also 17, will be a senior at Torrey Pines High School. The pair competed in the Women’s Youth PR3 Inclusive 2X division. In this inclusive double skulls rowing race, an athlete with a physical or visual impairment is paired with an able-bodied rower. Gabriella was born with Aniridia, a rare eye condition where the iris and other eye functions are not developed, and she is legally blind in both eyes.
”This team and experience with Gabby is something I will never forget and further reinforces the love I have for this sport and my teammates. I enjoyed the opportunity to row together to the finish line and earn our National Championship,” said Thalia in a news release. “After we crossed the finish line, Gabby and I just hugged, and it is something I will always remember.”
Both girls are members of the San Diego Rowing Club (SDRC). At nationals, Gabriella also competed in the able-bodied Women’s Youth 4-division for SRDC and finished ninth in the country.
After the Nationals, Gabriella will attend the US Rowing Paralympic Development Camp in Boston to train with Paralympians and other hopefuls in pursuit of her goal of making the National Team, competing in the 2026 Rowing World Championships and eventually the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.
“US Rowing Youth Nationals is so much fun and such an incredible experience, and I have so much respect for everyone I met there,” said Gabriella in the release. “Special shoutout to our amazing coaches Pat and Jane. We are so grateful to everyone for making it happen – parents, coaches, and fellow rowers at SDRC.”
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