This week, row2k continues our 2025 spring collegiate racing preview with an interview with Oregon State junior Giulia Clerici. We chat with her how she found Corvallis from Italy, how coxing improved her rowing, and more.

row2k - How did you get your start in rowing?

Giulia Clerici - I had always been an active kid. I was a swimmer and a track and field athlete, but both these sports were far away from home. I'm from the Lake of Como, in Moltrasio, and one day my mother decided to take me to the Canottieri Moltrasio Rowing Club. I loved the environment right away; competitive and with a lot of kids my age, which are still some of my closest friends. It was 2014 when I officially started rowing, and slowly I left the other two sports behind as rowing needed all of my effort. I was terrified of the water though, and would panic seeing flat water because I knew I would have to row the single. Funny how things change!

row2k - How did you decide to attend Oregon State?

Giulia Clerici - I got my first messages to study in America after competing in the single at the U19 World Rowing championships in 2021. I remember thinking, "If someone reaches out, I'll be polite and reply but I don't want to leave Italy."

Then the excitement of getting recruited got me. The video calls, filling out questionnaires and everything was cool but overwhelming, especially as someone who didn't know anything about rowing in the States. Then coach Mike reached out to me, and talked to me about Oregon State and I was impressed. So, I decided to go on an official visit and knew OSU was going to be the right place for me. I was looking for a competitive environment to row and study, a good coaching staff, and a team where I could make an impact, and Oregon State had it all.

LW1x Podium in 2024

row2k - You've won international medals as both a sculler and coxswain, most recently silver in the '24 U23 LW1x and gold in the '23 U23 LW4x, what were those experiences like?

Giulia Clerici - This last summer rowing in the LW1x was not expected and I was proud of myself for how I handled selection and training camp, both physically and mentally. The single is my favorite boat, I just like being able to say, "it's all on me," whether I do well or not, and I believe it helps develop boat moving skills like no other boat. The LW4x was fun too, definitely a more enjoyable way of training during camp as you are not alone and practices go by way faster. Plus, it helped me develop my skills as a stroke seat.

row2k - How has your coxing experience impacted your boat moving skills as a rower?

Giulia Clerici - I loved coxing with all my heart and I miss it dearly, but nothing beats the satisfaction of actually rowing down the course. I was coxing both the coxed four and the eight and they both bring different information to the table. The eight has a different type of hype, and seeing the rowers row and take steps together in front of you is amazing.

The coxed four remains unbeaten. You can feel the boat with your whole body by lying down, and you can't see the blades but you are close enough to hear them all. I think that's the most amazing thing about rowing: listening to the boat and being able to use the sound of it to make it go faster. Learning how to listen to the boat and how to make changes accordingly helped me improve my skills.

row2k - What do you like most about the sport of rowing?

Giulia Clerici - Tough question, hard to put it to words. I love everything about it. I like taking care of my own boat, from rigging it to wiping it down. I like being able to push myself and others, I love side by side paddle battles, I love the adrenaline rush as you start a race. I love the feeling of being able to control the boat, I love how powerful it makes me feel to know I can be the fastest. I love the pre-race motivational talk, and my favorite quote from my coach is, "Respect for all, fear of none."

I love the addiction to wanting to be the best, at everything. I like how rowing is a sport that, yes, needs power, but you win your race with your mind: mindset is everything. I love when you are just done with your row and you just want to keep going because the boat feels so good. I love that feeling of accomplishment after finishing a killer workout, and you are like, "If I finished this, I can do anything." I feel privileged and I will be forever grateful for rowing at Oregon State, this team has given me so much.

row2k - What has been your most memorable race and why?

Giulia Clerici - I have two, one in the single and one in the eight. My most memorable race was in the single at Worlds in 2021, and it was my semifinal. I had a tough heat and I was very scared. Racing in the single as a Junior was my biggest dream and challenge, I had worked so hard to get there and I was scared I wasn't going to make the top three. I remember being at the start line with my knees shaking, crying under my visor, trying to collect myself. Then the beep of the start and all of those feelings switched into adrenaline, and I made it into the A final! I felt like I could achieve the podium after that, and the A final is my other favorite race in the single.

As for the eight, my favorite was last year at Pac-12s in the 1V8. The entire year we worked so hard on making changes and chasing the fastest speeds, and in that race all of our work came together, the dots connected and we laid down our best performance of the season. I remember crossing the line and thinking, "There's nothing we could've done better." Rowers know how hard it is to say that!

row2k - What are you studying at Oregon State and do you have any plans for after graduation?

Giulia Clerici - At Oregon State I'm double majoring in Apparel Design and Product merchandising & Management. Definitely hard as the academic load is high but I'm studying what I like and it makes me happy. After graduation I don't know what I want to do yet. I would like to find a job I can do remotely as I want to keep rowing in Italy and try to make the senior national team. So far, that's all I have planned, I have been working on taking small steps instead of trying to plan everything out and over-stressing! All I know is that rowing is going to be in my life plans for a while.