1. What inspired you to go to your first rowing practice; was there anything memorable about it?
I was terrified to try rowing and ultimately that is why I had to do it. I figured anything that could scare me that much was something that would be very rewarding in my life. The group of girls I first started rowing with on the novice team at Ohio State was the most memorable part. We were all crazy, obsessed with every stroke, and extremely sarcastic as a group. I don't think I've ever laughed as hard or felt more at ease with a group of people than with those girls. Sometimes I have flashes of those early days in rowing. We put so much pressure on ourselves and there was an innocence to it that you can never get back.
2. Was there a practice, race or other event when you fell in love with the sport, or when you knew you might not be too bad at rowing? When you thought you could make the national team?
I think I truly fell in love with rowing when I started sculling. Sweep rowing at Ohio State was more about the team dynamic for me and I loved that, but when I began sculling, that was much more personal and a battle with my own demons and dreams. And let's be honest, I'm crazy, and you have to be crazy to love this sport.
As a sculler I have had so many ups and downs in the past five years, I either think I'm great, or totally the worst rower on the planet. Finding a balance between my anxieties and anger as well as a deep belief in what I can do in a boat has been the hardest part. Early on I thought that being good enough meant just working hard, but now I know that it means believing in yourself completely and not letting anyone else get inside your head and make you doubt your abilities. All of my ups and downs have shaped me into the rower that I am today.
3. Best race/practice, worst race/practice?
The best ones are always a blurr. You're in the zone and it seems effortless. Some of my best rows ever were in the double this year, when I felt harmony between myself and the other person, just rowing, just making the boat go.
The worst ones always end with a blow up of curses and screaming and I can feel it coming but seem powerless to stop it. Trying to "make it happen" in the boat, versus "letting it happen" in the boat always ended poorly. Trying to control what I'm doing keeps me from doing what I'm capable of, which is going fast. Those are the worst and the ones I always leave the boathouse kicking myself for. And I'm sure many a rower back in DC and in my boat now have stories about those practices.
4. Best/Anything you've done in the sport no one knows about?
Living through all of this madness and still loving the simplicity and beauty of feeling the boat move beneath me. To quote my friend Sammy Jo "Just livin the dream." That line always makes me laugh cause there's something sick and joyful about it at the same time.
5. Any/Most important advice for young rowers?
Be self-reliant. Build up your mind and body together so that even the worst things that happen or that people say don't change the way you feel about yourself and what you are trying to acheive. And remember that its a long process. Even if you make a team it doesn't mean it will always be easy. Be gentle to yourself during that process and look at the bad times as well as the good times as an opportunity to make yourself stronger.
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