See Megan Kalmoe's orginial "row2k Starting Five" questions from 2008 here!
1. How have you prepared differently for this quadrennial than previous cycles?
A lot of what I did was the same, I'm just older. Taking that in to account, I tried to be proactive from the beginning of the cycle with things like recovery, sleep, and nutrition. Getting better at working within the little details of training and continuing to fine-tune the routine of daily training was probably the biggest, but also the most understated, difference between past experiences.
I also had to do a lot more sweep rowing this time.
2. Did anything completely unexpected happen, or do you have any memorable or unusual stories from your previous Olympiad?
I had my suspicions that if I were to come back to the Training Center after 2012, I would have to give sweep rowing a go. I didn't love that idea because I think sculling is very technically intensive and I was hesitant to undo the work I had done since 2006; I also didn't want to get injured and have that be the reason I couldn't take on a third Olympics. So switching to sweep wasn't completely unexpected, but it was pretty major all the same. I don't think anyone really expected me to be much of a contributor in the sweep group, myself included, but about four months after the switch, I won the NSR in the pair. Having the opportunity to race the pair at a very high level with Kerry was the unexpected part of the switch, which I think made it that much more fun, and one of the most important things I've done during my career.
3. Any/Most important advice for first time Olympians?
1) if your family/friends are stressing you out with questions, tell them to go away and ask someone else, and do not feel bad about it. They will get over it. Your job is to focus on your preparation and racing. You can make it up to them afterwards when they get to wear your Olympic medal.
2) Underpack. You are going to get an insane amount of gear at processing, and then even more stuff when you get to the Games.
3) Enjoy every moment. Take a ton of photos. Write as much as you can in your journal, blog, emails or whatever else you use for records. The Olympics are unforgettable and will be the experience of a lifetime, but all the little details will bring you so much joy when you look back on your memories from this time.
4. What was your state of mind like sitting in the starting block of your first Olympic race?
We had a little timing mishap in the warmup area for our heat in Beijing, so ended up cutting it pretty close to the 2-minute warning. My state of mind was: I was really happy that we had gotten there on time. I also felt a little bit of guilt, because I knew that by cutting it so close on the start time and almost locking on late, I had probably made my coach, Laurel, have a minor heart attack. On the bright side, we had so little time between lock on and start, that we didn't have a chance to get nervous, so we just sat ready and went. (I think there is a pretty good pic of this in the row2k archives from 2008 heats)
5. What's different this time around/what will you do differently at this Olympics?
Well, I'd like to win this time.
6. Do you feel older/better/wiser/stronger/other?
I feel more prepared, which I think is a product of being older and maybe wiser. Every Team you make is special in its own way, which you appreciate more and more with each trip. For me, Beijing was this amazing rush of excitement and magic and really just a constant sense of incredulity. London was a little more tempered and goal-oriented, but still very special. This sounds a bit like I'm leading in to saying that the magic has gone for Rio, which I don't think is the case, but I do think having been through the whole process before a few times establishes some expectations, and even some routine. For me, this trip is going to be the most like a business trip of the three, and the magic I'm going to experience is going to be through watching all of my teammates go through it all for their first time.
Does the phrase "the Olympics" ring differently the next time around?
A little. Especially after you've been there and done it - it's no longer this mysterious world or experience or community that you aren't able to visualize yourself as a part of. Once you've participated in the Games and experienced the culture of the Olympics both in and out of competition, I think you are able to develop a better understanding of what people mean when they talk about the Olympic Movement, and as a result, what that means to you. Being an Olympic competitor changes you. I don't think it's the same for everyone, but attending one or more Games definitely offers you the opportunity to grow as an athlete and as a global citizen, and gives you some perspective on the role of the Games in human culture.
7. As far as regattas go, comparing the olympics to different races (Worlds, Lucerne), is it a better or different regatta, or just higher stakes?
The Olympics are different than other races in a few ways: the scale, organization, security, and all the logistics operate on a much higher level. Also, the starting line at the Olympics is one of the quietest places in the entire world. This will also be our only regatta of this quad starting with boots! But part of the beauty of this regatta -- and I remember telling my crew this in London -- is that you are there to do something you are completely prepared to do and have done countless times already. Racing at the Olympics is still just racing, even if there are more people or more media or bigger medals. All of the other hype and excitement that swirls around you during the lead up to the Olympic Final is part of the ride, but I promise you that's not what you're going to be thinking about when the light turns green. All of that fades and then it's just another race where you sit down and pull your f*cking ass off.
DATE OF BIRTH: 8/21/83
HEIGHT: 5’10”
WEIGHT: 160
BEGAN ROWING: 2002,University of Washington
HOMETOWN: St. Croix Falls, Wis.
BIRTHPLACE: Minneapolis, Minn.
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Princeton, N.J.
HIGH SCHOOL: St. Croix Falls High School
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: University of Washington, Latin and English, 2006
TRAINING LOCATION: Princeton, N.J.
CURRENT COACH: Tom Terhaar, Laurel Korholz
CLUB AFFILIATIONS: USRowing Training Center – Princeton, New York Athletic Club
National Teams: SENIOR: 2008-2016, UNDER 23: 2005
International Results: Won gold in the quadruple sculls at the 2015 World Rowing Championship…Won silver in the pair at the 2015 World Rowing Cup 2…Won silver in the pair at the 2014 World Rowing Championships...Won gold in the eight and silver in the pair at the 2014 World Rowing Cup 2…Finished fifth in the quadruple sculls at the 2013 World Rowing Championships...Finished sixth in the double sculls at the 2013 World Rowing Cup 3...Won silver in the quadruple sculls at the 2013 World Cup 1...Won bronze in the quadruple sculls at the 2012 Olympic Games...Took eighth in the quadruple sculls at the 2012 World Rowing Cup 2...Won silver in the quadruple sculls at the 2011 World Rowing Championships...Finished fourth in the quadruple sculls at the 2011 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Reached the semifinals of the Princess Grace Cup at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta...Finished fifth in the quadruple sculls at the 2010 World Rowing Championships...Finished fifth in the double sculls and fifth in the quadruple sculls at the 2010 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne…Finished sixth in the double sculls at the 2009 World Rowing Championships…Won gold in the double sculls and silver in the quadruple sculls at the 2009 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne…Finished fifth in the double sculls at the 2008 Olympic Games...Finished fourth in the double sculls at the 2008 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Finished seventh in the double sculls at the 2008 Rowing World Cup stop in Munich...Won gold in the four at the 2005 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.
National Results: Finished fourth in the pair at the 2016 National Selection Regatta 1...Finished second in the pair at the 2015 National Selection Regatta 1...Won the championship four at the 2014 Head of the Charles Regatta...Won the pair at the 2014 National Selection Regatta 1…Finished third in the single sculls at the 2013 National Selection Regatta 1...Won the championship eight at the 2012 Head of the Charles Regatta...Finished second in the double sculls at the 2011 National Selection Regatta 2...Finished third in the single sculls at the 2011 National Selection Regatta 1...Finished third in the double sculls at the 2010 National Selection Regattas 2 and 3…Finished fifth in the single sculls at the 2010 National Selection Regatta 1…Won the championship double and the championship four at the 2009 Head of the Charles Regatta…Won bronze in the single sculls at the 2009 USRowing National Championships…Won the double sculls at the 2009 National Selection Regatta 2…Finished fifth in the single sculls at the 2009 National Selection Regatta 1…Won the double sculls at the 2008 National Selection Regatta 2...Finished second in the quadruple sculls and fourth in the double sculls at the 2007 USRowing National Championships...Finished sixth in the double sculls at the 2007 National Selection Regatta 3...Finished ninth in the varsity eight at the 2006 NCAA Championships...Finished 12th in the varsity eight at the 2005 NCAA Championships...Finished sixth in the second varsity eight at the 2004 NCAA Championships...Finished second in the intermediate pair and fourth in the senior pair at the 2004 USRowing National Championships.
Personal: After finishing her rowing career, Megan would like to return to the Pacific Northwest, start writing her book, and travel as much as possible, with special emphasis on American National Parks and hiking the Triple Crown…Megan writes a blog about her training, travel and competitive experiences at:..Megan enjoys reading, writing, film, sending snapchats of her cat to fellow teammates, cooking, baking, gardening and knitting...She is also the athlete representative to the USRowing High Performance Committee.
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