1. What inspired you to go to your first rowing practice; was there anything memorable about it?
It was a simple flyer in my dorm mailbox at Michigan State my freshmen year. It looked like a unique team sport and I was in the market for trying something new. I remember the first practice we didn't even shove off the dock. We just got in the boat and repeatedly put our oars in the water and then took them back out. Tough stuff.
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?
There was one day early on where I found out I wasn't half bad. One of my first few days trying out for the team at Michigan State they had us do a 2k erg piece to get us to feel the time it takes to do a real race. Just a "No pressure. Do what you can" kind of piece. I thought I might as well go for it. After it was over, the assistant coach, who had rowed the previous four years and was writing down times, paused at my erg and raised his eyebrows. "You just beat my best time," he said. I liked winning, so I kept doing it.
I outgrew the Michigan State program after a couple years and decided, after a suggestion from my coach, to look into transferring schools. I ended up going to the University of Washington and was amazed at the level of competition there. I methodically worked my way to the top of the ranks there and knew at that point that I could, if I wanted to, take the next step to the national team. I wanted to.
3. Best race/practice, worst race/practice?
Each practice in our M4- lineup for the Olympics gets better than the last. I'm looking forward to having my best race in Beijing. I don't want to get into the details of my worst practice too much. Let's just say it involved racing pieces in the pair after an ill-advised night of good spirits.
4. Best/Anything you've done in the sport no one knows about?
Before we knew one another, fellow Olympians Matt Hughes, Jamie Schroeder, and I raced each other in the Elkhart Indoor Rowing Championships in Elkhart, IN. We were all freshmen in college. Matt was at Michigan, Jamie was at Northwestern, and I was at Michigan State at the time. It was a 2k erg piece and I won with a 6:10. Booyah.
5. Any/Most important advice for young rowers?
Enjoy it! Especially in high school. It's great to be determined but be careful not to get burned out early on. Go out for different sports. Get a taste of everything. I didn't row in high school because rowing doesn't exist in Wyoming, and I don't regret it. I had a great time running and swimming. Rowing is such a unique sport in that college is the best time to dedicate yourself to it, should the desire be there. There isn't a rowing program in the country that will turn away a dedicated walk-on.
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