This week's feature is with Kiwi and San Diego State freshman Bianca van Dyk. We chat with Bianca about finding rowing from netball, and her transition from New Zealand to the United States.

row2k - Your family has a pretty athletic background, tell us a little about that?
Bianca van Dyk - Yes, I come from a very athletic background. My mother has represented both South Africa and New Zealand in the game of netball. She played 72 caps for SA and 145 for NZ with a total of 217 caps making her the most capped netballer in history. She was an inspiration to watch growing up with her hard work on and off the court, which is truly admirable. My dad was also a cricket coach for the last 15 years ranging from age group rep teams to provincial teams. Watching the time and dedication he put in to his team transferred on to my attitude towards training and respecting my coaches and teammates.

row2k - Most of row2k's readers have probably never heard of netball, can you briefly describe the sport as well as its popularity in New Zealand?
Bianca van Dyk - Netball is a predominately women's sport, probably the most popular women's sport in New Zealand, Australia, England and South Africa. It's like basketball but without dribbling and no backboard on the hoop. The court is split into thirds, and certain people have positions where you aren't allowed in certain areas of the court. An example of its popularity is in 2008, 138,000 players registered in club and school teams with Netball New Zealand. With NZ being so small this is a huge amount of netball players. It's a great sport and very physical, but after playing it for 10 years and discovering my love for rowing, I can easily say rowing is a far more rewarding and hard working sport.

row2k - How did you get your start in rowing?
Bianca van Dyk - I started rowing when I was 15 years old in high school. All of my friends did it and I was feeling left out, so I went along to the tryouts expecting not to make it but was pleasantly shocked. I made the team and haven't looked back since. Being a very motivated and competitive girl, I was striving to be the best and found myself grasping the new sport well which brought me plenty of opportunities I am extremely grateful for.

row2k - How did you make your way to San Diego State?
Bianca van Dyk - Two of my old teammates and really good friends, Izzy Paul and Gina Bourke, both came to SDSU and told me how amazing it was. So, I did some research and got in contact with Bill Zack. After many Skype calls and talks with Gina and Izzy, I decided SDSU would be a great place for me to start my journey in my rowing career. What's not to love? Awesome weather, great facilities, coaches with a ton of knowledge, amazing teammates, and a good education. Seemed like a dream come true.

row2k - What has been the transition like from New Zealand to the United States?
Bianca van Dyk - The transition wasn't exactly hard, it was just very different. The difference in people, culture, weather, rowing technique, food; EVERYTHING was just different. It took me a while to adjust, but now it feels like my second home and I'm lucky to have such amazing friends who have made the transition so much easier. The thing I miss most about home is my family. We are the closest family you will ever meet, but with frequent Skype calls it makes it much easier.

row2k - What do you like most about the sport of rowing?
Bianca van Dyk - The thing I most enjoy about rowing is you get out what you put in. If you don't do the hard work you will catch yourself falling behind. If you put in the time and effort you will see results and become a better athlete. I love training and pushing my body to the limits physically and mentally which is very exciting. During high school it taught me how to manage my time and appreciate sleep.

Also, the fact I can't be compared to my parents and have accusations thrown around like, "Oh you only made that team cause of your mum," etc, is pretty wicked.

row2k - What has been your most memorable race and why?
Bianca van Dyk - My most memorable race was probably during North Islands (our NZ high school regatta). We were serious underdogs and we made the A final and managed to come 4th, which no one was expecting. We were in the eight and I just remember everyone putting absolutely everything in to it. The boat felt balanced, powerful, and all the moves our coxswain called we executed which was a great feeling. There's nothing better coming off the water after a race knowing you and all your other teammates put their life and soul into a race.

row2k - What are you studying at SDSU and do you have any ideas on what you'd like to pursue after college?
Bianca van Dyk - At the moment I am a kinesiology major, however with this major not transferring to New Zealand (which is where I plan to live the rest of my life) I have had to think of what I want to do on my return. That led me to... being a police woman. I would love a job where I am helping people while remaining active. Although I would love to row for NZ one day at the Olympics, I'll keep my options open for now.