1. What inspired you to go to your first rowing practice; was there anything memorable about it?
I was sitting at lunch one day with a bunch of my buddies. They were all talking about the rowing team and saying how good they were going to do that upcoming season. They had all rowed in the fall, I didn't because I was played soccer. My dad rowed in college, I was definitely curious about the sport. I asked one guy where try outs were, and he said, "don't bother you probably aren't tough enough." I showed up that afternoon and the coaches had us run hills for an hour. I made sure I lapped the guy who said i couldn't cut it, not just once but 3 times.
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 remember our first practice on the erg. We had to do a 500m piece. After finishing the piece, I looked at my coach and he said, "congrats you won." At that point i knew I might not be too bad at rowing. I knew I loved rowing after our first practice in the Frosh 8 on the water. It was a long 3 months of indoor training before we got out on the Schuylkill. I was hooked as soon as we shoved off the dock and I took my first stroke. Rowing all eight was the coolest thing in the world to me.
In 2008, I tried out for the junior national team. Even my coaches told me to not get my hopes up because I was 5'11" and weighed 160 pounds. Everyone told me it was amazing that I got invited, but odds were i was just too small to contend with big guys. I ended up sitting 7 seat in the Junior 8. Ian Silveira sat stroke, Rob Munn sat 6, and Tom Dethlefs was in 5. We took bronze at the World Championships. That boat and that experience was so much fun. I'd say after that summer, I starting thinking I needed to work much harder if I wanted to make the Olympics one day.
3. Best race/practice, worst race/practice?
In 2013, I placed silver at World cup 3 in the LM2-. That was my first race on the senior team and probably one of my favorite races to date. But I'd have to say qualifying and winning the B-Final at Worlds last year was my best race. The race in the pair was somewhat of a fluke. I had just graduated college, 4 weeks later i'm racing in Lucerne and won a medal it was surreal. I trained for an entire year with the singular goal of qualifying for the Olympics.To work so hard for something and to accomplish that goal was really special.
Worst race might have to be racing at Canadian Henley in the Junior 8. We had won our heat by a land slide and were heavily favored to win. In the final, I jumped my seat and completely knocked it off the tracks. My coxswain called stern pair out. By the time I got my seat back on, we were sitting dead last by about 8 lengths. After I joined back in and started rowing again, our boat went nuts. We walked back through the field and came in 2nd by about half a second. I was devastated. I felt like it was all my fault and my teammates were going to hate me. Luckily for me, our coach thought we had one hell of a race and the guys weren't too bummed.
4. Best/Anything you've done in the sport no one knows about?
Both Robin and I were in the Princeton Lightweight 8 (2010) that currently holds the course record at the Head of the Charles. Thats a little-known fact that I am pretty proud of.
5. Any/Most important advice for young rowers?
First, and most important, make sure you have fun. Second, work hard and feel good about the work you are doing. Third, its okay to make mistakes, just make sure you learn from them.
DATE OF BIRTH: 8/30/90
HEIGHT: 6’0”
WEIGHT: 155
BEGAN ROWING: 2006, La Salle College High School
HOMETOWN: Phoenixville, Pa.
BIRTHPLACE: Phoenixville, Pa.
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Philadelphia, Pa.
HIGH SCHOOL: LaSalle College High School
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: Princeton University, Sociology, 2013
TRAINING LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pa.
CURRENT COACH: Cam Kiosoglous
CLUB AFFILIATIONS: USRowing Training Center–Oklahoma City
National Teams: SENIOR: 2014-2016, UNDER 23: 2011-2012, JUNIOR: 2008
International Results: Won bronze in the lightweight four at the 2016 World Rowing Cup I...Finished seventh in the lightweight men's four at the 2015 World Rowing Championships . . . Finished 15th in the lightweight pair at the 2014 World Rowing Championships...Won silver in the lightweight pair at the 2013 World Rowing Cup III…Finished seventh in the lightweight four at the 2012 World Rowing Under Championships... Finished ninth in the lightweight four at the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships…Finished third in the junior eight at the 2008 World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships.
National Results: Finished second in the lightweight pair at the 2016 National Selection Regatta I...Won the lightweight pair at the 2014 Senior I World Championships Trials…Finished seventh in the pair at the 2014 National Selection Regatta 2...Won the eight at the 2011 USRowing Na-tional Championships…Took second in the four at the 2011 USRowing National Champion-ships…Finished first in the lightweight eight at the 2010 Head of the Charles…Finished third in the freshman eight at the 2010 IRA Championships…Took third in the lightweight freshman eight at the 2010 Eastern Sprints …Finished second in the lightweight eight at the 2009 Head of the Charles.
Personal
Tyler’s hobbies include riding motorcycles and cooking…Before each race he watches the movie Gladiator…Most memorable sporting moment was earning silver in the lightweight men's pair at 2013 World Cup III in Lucerne.…Tyler lists Marty Crotty as the most influ-ential person in his sporting career and his parents as his personal heroes.
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