1. What inspired you to go to your first rowing practice; was there anything memorable about it?
I went to practice because, like so many other college freshman out there, there was that one person who said: "wow, you're tall, you should row." We didn't have a coach, so we pretty much just jumped into the boat, pushed off the dock, and tried to avoid flipping over. Our coxswain was a 180 pound senior who was frantically spouting instructions. That keep-your-blade-on-the-water-so-the-boat-doesn't-tip skill was something that took most of the first few practices to master. Other than that, trying to keep my soccer shorts out of the tracks and my seat from falling off the front of the slides were my top priorities. We didn't really realize that we could adjust our footplate or slide position until well after my sophomore year, and as a result, having someone lose their seat during a race was more common than catching a crab. But there were plenty of both.
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?
My rowing appreciation was fostered throughout college and the several years after during which the social aspects of the sport were just as significant as training on the water. Things ratcheted up a notch in terms of commitment when I moved eastward to Penn AC.
The 2005 NSR2. I rowed the pair with Pat O'Dunne and we led Bryan Volpenhein and Beau Hoopman for the first 1500 meters before they mowed us down in the last 500. I was still pretty inexperienced at that point, and we wound up finishing second, but that was really the first time that I actually believed any of this was feasible.
3. Best race/practice, worst race/practice?
Worst practice - I remember one foul morning in 2006 on Mercer Lake, where we logged about 20K in freezing rain, 20 MPH headwind (both ways), and loads of chop. I sat bow, so I got the brunt of it all.
4. Best/Anything you've done in the sport no one knows about?
I squat more than Giuseppe Lanzone. But he does have that Latin thing going for him, so I'll take my victories where I can get them.
5. Any/Most important advice for young rowers?
Enjoy the sport and where the competitive drive takes you. Rowing is blind to your athletic origins and climbing the ladder requires persistence and hard work. Leave your ego on the dock. Knowing what it feels like to put your bow ball out front will always keep you coming back
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