Before I started college in August of 2014, I had no concept of what rowing was but, I showed up to the first day of practice nonetheless. I was so mesmerized by the crews that passed on the water my first day at the boathouse that I promised myself I would work as hard I could to be in those boats one day. As practices wore on, I began to understand that rowing is as much an art form as it is a sport. It is an intricate balance of precision, timing and fluidity coupled with an intensity that I have never known. There is something so indescribably beautiful about eight people moving in perfect synchrony with one another. I have never been more challenged by a sport than I am by rowing, yet the physical challenge crew necessitates is precisely why I adore it the way that I do.
The best crews in the world do not become spectacular based on athleticism alone. Rowing, more so than any sport I've ever done, acknowledges that the amount of physical strength needed by each athlete is equally as important as the amount of mental strength that is required. Every movement a rower makes demands a high level of intensity which quickly exhausts the body from head to toe. A crew may only be five strokes into a competitive race yet they already feel the toll that their bodies are taking - five strokes is all that it takes to reach that point. To overcome this pain, and to succeed as a crew, each individual rower must possess an acute mental toughness, allowing them to break through the barriers the body has created for itself to push every existing physical limit. Uniquely, rowers become comfortable in a prolonged state of pain. However, the most accomplished rowers recognize that this pain is only temporary and the glory that one feels after success lasts forever.
I am often questioned by outsiders, who think the time commitment and physical undertaking demanded by all crew athletes is a little much. My response is always the same: I row for my teammates. I row for them because I know that they are rowing for me. I pull for the girls who are motivated to succeed and who are not afraid of a challenge. I push myself for the beautiful women who share the same sense pride in what we accomplish and the goals we have set and overcome. I continue to row because I am inspired each and every day by my teammates and am thankful for their influence in shaping me into the person I am today.
Rowing has given me with so much more than something to put on my resume or an outlet to maintain my fitness. It has gifted me with a deep-rooted understanding of the word "commitment," an appreciation for the nature of the sport itself, and a group of women that I can undoubtedly call my best friends.
