This week's row2k Interview is with Stesha Carlé of the silver medal winning USA W4x. Stesha shares with us how a bikini helped to get her start in rowing, her take on sweeping vs. sculling, what really happened on the Fun Bob, and more.

row2k: How did you get your start in rowing?
Stesha Carlé: My mom dragged me to the Long Beach boathouse to row a double with her so I could set the boat while she rowed. I hated it. Then, she made a deal that if I coxed her boats, I could get any bikini I wanted that summer. I was terrible; didn't say a word. A year later, I ended up joining Long Beach Junior Crew. I was hooked from the first practice.

row2k: Your quad won a silver medal in Bled after three hard fought races, what will be some of your lasting memories from the 2011 World Championships?
Stesha Carlé: First, Bled was absolutely breathtaking. Adrienne Martelli and I stood on the balcony of our hotel room every morning and night to just take it all in. From a racing standpoint, it was much more fun to be in the race! I am very proud of the way we came together as a boat and how we executed our races.

row2k: You've had international success in both sculling and sweep rowing, which do you prefer and are there any differences between the two at that level?
Stesha Carlé: I love sculling for many reasons. I love the difficulty of the single, it's a bit easier on my body, and I never have to worry about someone pulling me around! I also love the group of athletes that I get to train with. I really haven't swept at this level yet, but it has got to be fun! The pressure seems a bit higher, but sweepers here are tough and have handfuls of medals to prove it.

row2k: Coach Terhaar seems to move athletes between sculling and sweep quite frequently, how do the athletes handle the switching?
Stesha Carlé: I think our team has done a great job being flexible and showing that it is difficult, but totally possible to switch from one to the other. Esther Lofgren showed that when she came away with two Henley wins this year- one in the quad, one in the eight!

row2k: To what extent did your collegiate career at Michigan prepare you for the national team?
Stesha Carlé: Mark Rothstein and Emily Ford taught me to truly love the sport. I believe that you need to have a strong desire for the sport; otherwise it just ends up being a lot of hard work. I also had ample opportunity to fine-tune my erg pacing skills. Ultimately Mark taught me that rowing is simple. Not easy, but simple.

row2k: Which race in your past is the most memorable and why?
Stesha Carlé: I will always remember Big Ten’s my sophomore year when we came in seeded fifth. We played it up too, made everyone think that we were nothing special. Then we blew it out on race day and won the 2V, the 1V, and the Championship.

row2k: Which race stands out as the one you learned the most from and why?
Stesha Carlé: I definitely learned the most from racing the double last year. We had a lot of tight racing and I think every athlete learns the most from how they respond in those situations.

row2k: What do you like doing in your time away from rowing?
Stesha Carlé: Spending time with my family. Everyone seems to be getting engaged (my mom and my brother!) or married, or having kids. So although I usually miss the big days, it is awesome to go home and reconnect with everyone.

I also really enjoy running. I mostly like how much you can see a different city while getting a workout in. Most recently, I went for a long run the morning after my friend’s wedding and was amazed by the Vermont scenery. I’m still feeling the hills though!

row2k: Is it true you rode the brakes the whole way down the Fun Bob in Bled?
Stesha Carlé: Rode the brakes?! I put the pedal to the medal. I even took a tip from teammate, Amanda Polk, and went down rodeo style- one arm in the air!