Newton’s Gevvie Stone paused her medical career to train for the now-postponed Olympics. Now, she’s grappling with guilt and uncertainty
There’s a lot on Gevvie Stone’s mind.
Stone, a Newton native, had taken a two-year leave from her residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in order to train for her third Olympic Games. The 34-year-old rower intended on racing in Tokyo before returning to her residency at the end of August.
Her plans, however, are in flux now that the 2020 Games have officially been postponed.
“It’s heartbreaking; it’s hard; it’s frustrating,” said Stone in a telephone interview Wednesday morning. “I took that leave of absence with the goal of racing for an Olympic medal. While it would be really hard to take that leave of absence for it seems like no purpose if I go back now, because I won’t have the opportunity to race, at the same time, another year is a long time. Logistically, with residency, it’s not easy.”
Stone graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine in 2014, specializing in emergency medicine. She took a leave from Tufts in order to train for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where she placed 7th overall in women’s single sculls. After graduation, she trained for the 2016 Games in Rio, where she won a silver medal.
This year, Stone was on track to complete a similar cycle: temporarily pause her career in medicine so that she can compete in the Olympics. Now, she’s not so sure.
“The postponement throws a wrench into this being a smooth plan,” Stone said. “I have some thinking to do. In the meantime, I don’t have much else to do with my day aside from train.”
Stone, who calls rowing her “happy space,” is still able to get out on the water for double sessions every day. Her training would typically consist of triple sessions three days a week and double sessions another three days a week, but she’s cut back now that both the Olympic trials and Games have been delayed.
There’s no looming deadline for Stone to make her decision, but skipping out on the Olympics entirely is on the table. Stone is hopeful the new dates will be confirmed and announced shortly so that she can make as an informed decision as possible. According to Stone, US Rowing has been communicative with regular emails not only about potential schedules but also about wellness and other supportive resources.
In addition to contemplating her future plans, Stone is also grappling with guilt for her time away from medicine during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Even before the Olympics were canceled, I had enormous guilt in terms of not being as helpful as I potentially could be at this moment in time,” Stone said. “At this point, I would love to jump back in and be helpful. Unfortunately, there are a lot of licensing and malpractice paperwork issues. It’s not something you just pick up when you feel like it, which is fair and the way it should be because you don’t want someone who’s unqualified to treat you.”
As she navigates the period of uncertainty, Stone is trying to strike a balance of allowing herself to be devastated over her personal situation while also recognizing the bigger picture.
Said Stone: “There’s a tough balance between knowing that it’s heartbreaking for me, while at the same time acknowledging that, although my world has been rocked, I am very fortunate compared to many other people around the world right now in that my family is still healthy and I’m able to put food on the table.”
Get Boston.com’s e-mail alerts:
Sign up and receive coronavirus news and breaking updates, from our newsroom to your inbox.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com