WHY I ROW
When I was little, my teachers asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be a pro-soccer player in elementary school, a teacher in middle school and an environmental activist in high school. I loved sports, I loved working with kids, I loved being outside, but I really didn’t love any of those things individually enough to spend my whole life doing one of them.
I went to college to discover what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I wanted to pursue a career in graphic design or environmental policy. Rowing was just supposed to be a fun extra-curricular. It was supposed to be a way to stay fit, meet new people, try something new and get outside. I had no idea how much Wisconsin Rowing would change my life.
When I stepped into UW’s Porter Boathouse for the first time I knew I had found somewhere I could belong. I remember observing the older rowers: they walked confidently and the strength of their friendships was obvious even to an outsider like me. They were ambitious, outgoing, smart and tough. I wanted to be one of them.
When I officially joined the team, I quickly realized that rowing was hard and I was bad at it. I was used to excelling in sports without having to try very hard. Girls who were less athletic than me could make boats go faster than I could and it drove me crazy. I didn’t keep coming back to practice in the beginning of my career because I liked rowing; I came to practice with the intention of clawing my way to the top.
The longer I rowed, the closer to the top I got. I wanted to be fast, but the “one man wolf pack” approach to rowing made it exhausting. I was constantly worried about defending my seat in the boat or having big ergs. It wasn’t until the spring of my sophomore year that I really was able to understand the co-dependence of a crew. I consistently sat between two seniors who nurtured and encouraged me. I wanted them to be successful their senior year and I realized that if I failed to perform at my full potential, I would guarantee their failure. Even though I doubted myself, I knew I couldn’t let them down. Suddenly I wasn’t rowing for myself anymore. I was rowing for my teammates, I was rowing for Wisconsin.
This realization helped me grow as a rower and a person. Rowing has taught me that ambition can garner success, but it’s more effective when combined with selflessness. I have learned that nurturing the people around me gives them the confidence to be better, which in turn motivates me. I learned time management, discipline, persistence, and the priceless value of friendship.
My team has become what I know will be a life-long support network. I am afraid of leaving Wisconsin Rowing next year, but I’m moving on with a sense of duty.
I want to be a rowing coach because I believe that other athletes deserve a competent mentor that will help them discover the belonging and purpose that I found through rowing. I want to be responsible for coaching a team that builds good athletes, but more importantly sends competent, trustworthy, well-equipped people into the world to do great things.
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