Henrique Motta is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and graduated with a degree in nutrition from Universidade Veiga de Almeida. He began rowing in 1991 at Botafogo Futebol e Regatas, and he has continued his rowing for over 20 years at the high-performance level, while being a member of the Brazilian National Team as a lightweight rower. Motta has coached at several of the most competitive rowing clubs in Brazil. He began his coaching career in 1995-1997 at Botafogo Futebol e Regatas. He was a rowing instructor from 1997-1999 and moved up to assistant coach from 1999-2013 at Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama. Motta is the personal coach of Emanuelle Abreu, a female lightweight rower and Brazilian national team athlete, from 2011 to present. In the United States, Motta started working as an assistant coach for RowLA in Los Angeles at the beginning of 2017. He rapidly progressed to become their head coach in 2018. His coaching at RowLA focuses on introducing rowing to young women who would not normally have the opportunity to row. His coaching philosophy emphasizes the values of self-discipline and hard work, while placing strong importance on the role of the team. Motta does not evaluate his athletes on their size or physical preparation prior to joining the team but rather supports and encourages the athletes to achieve beyond their expectations. He teaches the girls the highest level of technical rowing skills, but also the important life skills necessary to personally succeed. Besides coaching, he is also involved as a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and sports nutritionist. He is an enthusiastic coach, passionate about the sport of rowing and always looking to grow, learn and improve himself as an individual and as a coach.
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