Sitting in the dorm of my best friends, preparing ourselves for a week of spring break training camp, I've never been more thankful for the direction that my sport has taken me. And in reflecting on how I entered the sport of rowing, I realized that I made a big jump from being an individual event athlete as a swimmer, to being a part of the sport that is the epitome of all team sports. Rowing requires the ultimate sacrifice, and in becoming a college rower I've seen that to a whole new extent.

When I was a swimmer, my events were the 50 freestyle, the 50 fly, and for a time, I raced the 500 free. I tried to enter the world of distance swimming with the smallest race in that part of the sport, the 500, at the end of my swimming career. But for the most part, I was a sprinter and I loved to start or anchor relays.

When it came to sprinting or focusing for that brief burst of time in the water, it all came down to me, my head, and my body. I had to close everyone out and I wasn't always the best at that. But I took pride in it when I hit my stride. I think that swimming brought me a lot of confidence and pride in myself. I was all for the individual sport and I thrived in that environment. But when I realized that my potential wasn't at the level it needed to be to compete at a high level in the sport, my time in the sport began to dwindle.

That reality check was met with the perfect transition- a stranger suggesting I go out for rowing. And because life is all about taking chances, I was excited to take the ultimate chance on it and did.

Moving from being a swim team captain and loving the feeling of the breeze hitting me on top of that starting block to being a novice rower, not knowing anyone, and truly being a nobody on a new team was a huge adjustment. I was learning a new sport and finding that it wasn't about how fast MY times were now, but how fast my times during a workout could make my TEAM during a race or at championships. It was humbling and inspiring and continues to be daily.

I progressed in the sport and began to understand why so many people were drawn to team sports. I always found that being the Michael Phelps in the world of sports would be incredible- to have all eyes on you and to be able to say that the record times and the medals were yours and yours only. But as soon as I was fully engrossed in rowing, racing and traveling and connecting with my team, I felt something far more inspiring in working with my teammates. The feeling of finding the perfect swing of our bodies as our oars glide through the air, feeling the world go silent as you capture the perfect amount of press, or when your anguish in a race turns to pure, ecstatic joy as you pass a boat is like nothing else and it is more than motivational.

Being on a rowing team has taught me that the ultimate success comes from the ultimate sacrifice. And boy do we sacrifice- our sleep, our other passions, our free time, and sanity at times. But that's not a complaint- in fact, it's what brings us a lot of pride in a weird way. Because at the end of a great practice, after a personal best on the rowing machine, or at the finish line when you've won by a boat-length, none of those sacrifices matter. What matters are the girls around you, how you gave everything in your mind, body, strength, and ability to be resilient, and how you came out in the end.

Contributing to boat speed has taught me a lot about my life. It's taught me to keep fighting in anything you do, to trust yourself, and that you can give more and more than you believe in the toughest situations. Every practice, we count on each other in the boat to pull hard every stroke, because it actually counts every second. The effort we put in, the focus we row with, and the pressure we apply to our blades as we row across the bay are all seen in how far the boat goes and how it feels to each of us.

But more importantly, how much we put in on an individual level contributes to how each girl in the boat will do. If we all work together, we can all come out on top. That comes down to not only holding each other accountable to give everything but trusting every other girl to do just that- her best. We build that trust every morning at 5:45 when we board the bus, every race when we sit ready at the start, and every time we finish a set and we're breathing hard and our hands are shaking.

I could have spent the end of my high school career standing on starting blocks and diving into pools, but in doing that I found myself alone, whether I succeeded or failed. Instead, I spent my high school career and now continue to pursue my college career showing shells with an oar in my hand each morning, united in a struggle and pursuit of excellence with my teammates. In the end of everything, I know that they'll be there. Win or lose, we have each other and that's more than I could ever find in myself.

Through the early mornings and the constant exhaustion, I've found a bond with strangers. Now they're my best friends. Through the sacrifice that comes from being part of a team sport, I've learned more about my life and my ambitions than I thought possible. And through putting myself on the line while my girls put themselves on the same line for me, I've found myself. Rowing and my teammates have given me more than I thought possible.

When I feel like my lungs might explode, when my hands are torn up with blisters and shaking, when salt water cakes my legs and arms, when I can feel my muscles screaming during a rowing machine assessment, when I doubt myself, and when I feel like I can't keep going, I'm reminded by every one of my teammates, by my best friends, and my our collective success in the past of why it is so worth it. We keep going for each other, and that's something I find so beautiful.