Athlete in Focus: Roger Rao

Mindset and Motivation at the 2015 Gwangju Universiade

Written By Laura Becker

Photo Courtesy of Roger Rao

By the time Roger Rao realized he was injured it was too late to back out of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. Despite severe inflammation in his right shoulder where he needed painkillers just to lift his arm, he competed and reached the final. “I wasn’t really sad that I lost, rather I was sad that I was not able to play at my best,” Rao remembered.

No stranger to the highest level of competition, Auckland native Rao was the youngest-ever New Zealand Open champion at 13-years-old.  Now at 18-year-old, he represented New Zealand in table tennis at the 2015 Gwangju Universiade.

Another obstacle was the criteria needed to send delegates. New Zealand needed at least three players, two of whom had to be ranked nationally in the top 10.  Roger was one of them, but it was unclear whether there would be others to form a team.

“I was actually just really happy knowing we could send a team,” said Roger, who came to the Gwangju Universiade with teammates Daniel Lowe, Zhiyang Cheng and Jonathan Wang. The New Zealand team entered the Universiade as a definite underdog. Rao speculated that his team would have to play at their best to come in just below the heavy-hitting teams of Korea, Japan and China. Rao found that it was actually easier to play all-out when his opponent was better than he was.  Mentality, of course, is key, as Roger has learned to focus and control his emotions through years of experience. In his opinion, the ability to handle different situations and adapt to opponents’ playing styles are what separates the great players from the rest.

The ability to perform under pressure is important in both athletics and academics, and Roger strives for a high level in both. This August, he will head to the United States to study engineering at Duke University. Though he has determined to keep playing, he is prepared to play at a less competitive level as he balances the demands of his studies and his sport.

Rao describes himself as both an athlete and a student, but at the Gwangju Universiade he was pure athlete. The competition hall in Jangseong had no schedule for practice hours, so the athletes crowded four or six at one table to practice. “We always do it, so we are used to balls flying everywhere,” Rao said. Though candid off the court, he plays with the tight focus required of a top athlete.

Competing in Men’s Doubles, Rao and teammate Daniel Lowe defeated Lebanon, but lost to Hong Kong. In Mixed Doubles, with teammate Natalie Paterson, Rao won against Sri Lanka and ultimately lost to South Korea. In Men’s Teams, New Zealand came in well behind the top teams, beating Mongolia, but losing to Sweden and Hong Kong.

To Rao, however, the competition results are of secondary importance: “Winning and losing do not matter too much; it is more knowing that I have been able to reach my full potential.”