Pittsburgh native gets another shot at Olympic gold medal, this time with his family in the audience

An Olympic rower from Pittsburgh will have a chance at gold later this week.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic graduate Michael Grady’s team finished first in their men’s four heat Sunday. They automatically earn a spot in Thursday’s final.

>>> Pittsburgh man helps advance Team USA to rowing finals at Paris Olympics

Grady is competing in his second Olympics, but he tells Channel 11 he never thought he’d try the sport until his father picked it up.

“I kind of got pulled into it, and they told me it was a genetic sport,” said John Grady.

It was clear early on to John Grady and his wife Tracy that their son had the rowing gene.

“He was always a very competitive little kid,” Tracy Grady added. “Never liked to lose. Like intense.”

At Central Catholic, Michael intended to try rowing, but continue playing football and lacrosse.

“About three weeks into rowing, he said ‘that’s all I ever want to do,’” John Grady recalled.

Michael quit every other sport he played and threw himself into rowing. He said the hours spent with his team in Pittsburgh’s rivers are one of the biggest reasons for his success.

“So many different backgrounds on that team. Being able to kind of mesh well and have this kind of gritty, hard-nosed, blue-collar work ethic,” he said. “Pittsburgh has some toughness in its sports, so I hope to kind of emulate that in the rowing world.”

Though the Pittsburgh toughness brought Michael to Tokyo, pandemic restrictions kept his family home.

Now, Michael Grady gets another shot at gold in Paris, while his family finally gets the chance to be there.

“We have a big fan club coming,” said Tracy Grady. “We’re all very excited, but also, when you’re watching them, you just kind of hold your breath the whole time. When the race comes, I feel like my heart’s beating out of my chest.”

John Grady believes his son has a good chance at standing on the podium.

“They just have to do what they know how to do,” he said. “Show up and perform reasonably well, and they should hopefully come out with a medal.”

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