1. What inspired you to go to your first rowing practice; was there anything memorable about it?
I went to my first rowing practice in the fall of my freshman year in high school because I needed to do a fall sport and rowing was a new sport at the school then and sounded interesting. I spent the whole time sitting in what the coaches called a 'dock box', which let you take strokes without going on the water. I remember it being hard enough that I wanted to come back again to try and do better.
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 rowed on a couple of under 23 teams in college and wanted to keep going but I graduated in 2007 before the Beijing Olympic year and I wasn't sure I was good enough to make the team. I had a place in a 1 year program at Oxford University so I went over to the UK and told myself if I had a good year there I would come back and give myself a year to make the US team. I joined the men's group in Princeton in the fall of 2008 but it was just a few of us training and it took the returning guys from Beijing a few months to trickle back in. There wasn't a full group until the winter camp in Chula Vista in January 2009. It had been an up and down fall as people trickled in and USRowing hired Mike Teti's replacement and I don't think anyone knew where they stood, certainly not me. At the end of the first week of camp we did some pieces in pairs and my partner and I didn't lose. The older guys were just getting back into shape so it didn't mean much to them but it convinced me that I was good enough to make it.
3. Best race/practice, worst race/practice?
My most fun race was in the 2008 under 23 8. We won by almost half a length open water and it was so much fun- the outcome was never in doubt. 6 of the 8 rowers in the boat raced in London four years later.
My worst race was probably the Varsity 8 IRA final in 2006. We had won our semi final and it had been a while since Yale had been in that position. There was some celebrating from a couple of guys...way too early as it turned out. The next day we really struggled and ended up going from a medalling position at the thousand to 6th place by the end of the race. We had a good boat so it was frustrating to come up short when it counted.
4. Best/Anything you've done in the sport no one knows about?
Within a year and half of having started rowing I had finished last place in the Stotesbury Cup, Head of the Charles and Head of the Schuylkill. It's been steady progress since then!
Another random fact- Henrik Rummel and I raced together as 15/16 yr olds in the US 4- at CanAmMex in 2003. And 13 years later we're still in the same crew.
5. Any/Most important advice for young rowers?
Have fun and be a good teammate!
Hometown: New Canaan, Conn.
Birthplace: New York, N.Y.
Current Residence: New York, N.Y.
Club Affiliation: USRowing Training Center – Princeton
Began Rowing: 1999, New Canaan High School
Date of Birth: 6/21/86
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200
High School: New Canaan High School
Undergraduate Education: Yale University, 2007
Graduate Education: Oxford University, 2008
Training Location: Princeton, N.J.
Current Coach: Bryan Volpenhein
National Teams: Twelve – 2003-04, Junior; 2006-08, Under 23; 2009-12, 2014-16, Senior
International Results: Finished fourth in the four at the 2016 World Rowing Cup II...Won gold in the four at the 2016 World Rowing Cup I...Finished seventh in the four at the 2015 World Rowing Championships…Won gold in the four at the 2015 World Rowing Cup 2…Finished sixth in the pair at the 2014 World Rowing Championships...Won bronze in the four at the 2012 Olympic Games...Finished fourth in the four at the 2011 World Rowing Championships...Took bronze in the four at the 2011 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Reached the finals of the Stewards Challenge Cup at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta...Finished sixth in the eight at the 2010 World Rowing Championships...Finished 10th in the pair at the 2010 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne…Finished sixth in the pair at the 2010 Rowing World Cup stop in Bled…Finished fifth in the pair at the 2009 World Rowing Championships…Took bronze in the pair at the 2009 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne…Finished seventh in the pair at the 2009 Rowing World Cup stop in Banyoles…Won gold in the eight at the 2008 World Rowing Under 23 Championships…Won the eight at the 2008 Oxford Cambridge Boat Race…Finished fourth in the eight at the 2007 World Rowing Under 23 Championships…Finished 14th in the quadruple sculls at the 2006 World Rowing Under 23 Championships...Finished fifth in the eight at the 2004 World Rowing Junior Championships...Took silver in the eight at the 2003 World Rowing Junior Championships.
National Results: Finished second inthe pair at the 2016 National Selection Regatta I...Finished third in the pair at the 2015 National Selection Regatta 1…Won the pair at the 2014 National Selection Regatta 1...Won the pair in the 2014 Fall Speed Order...Won the pair at the 2014 Senior 2 World Championships Trials…Won the pair at the 2013 USRowing East Coast Fall Speed Order...Won the pair at the 2012 National Selection Regatta 1...Won the pair at the 2011 National Selection Regatta 2...Finished fourth in the pair at the 2010 National Selection Regatta 3…Won the pair at the 2010 USRowing National Championships…Won the pair at the 2010 National Selection Regatta 2…Won the pair at the 2010 National Selection Regatta 1…Won the pair at the 2009 National Selection Regatta 2…Won the pair at the 2009 National Selection Regatta 1… Won the pair at the 2009 USRowing Speed Order… Took silver in the varsity eight at the 2007 Eastern Sprints...Finished sixth in the varsity eight at the 2006 IRA Championships...Took bronze in the freshman eight at the 2004 IRA Championships...Took bronze in the quadruple sculls at the 2003 USRowing Youth Invitational.
Personal: Charlie was named USRowing's 2011 Athlete of the Year...Charlie's high school coach, Yan Vengerovskiy, has been the most influential person in his sporting career because he directed Charlie towards rowing.
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