1. What inspired you to go to your first rowing practice; was there anything memorable about it?
One of my most memorable first experiences in rowing was the first time I climbed into an eight. I was one of only two high school rowers sent out in a boat of post collegiate recreational rowers. I was in awe of most of them because they were all in their twenties and had rowed in college. But the best part of the row was when the coxswain (a guy who worked at Intel) plugged in his stereo/cox box. We did an entire row to the music of Enigma... I was sold, rowing the eight was way cooler than the lonely non-musical single.
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 have a journal entry from my sophomore in highschool where I wrote in big block letters that "my dream is to go to the Olympics for rowing someday." I remember writing it and thinking to myself that I wouldn't tell anyone that was my goal because I was still just a novice. What I did know was that I was in love with the sport. It wasn't one practice that got me. It was the whole experience.
After my novice year I went to a USRowing development camp coached by former Olympians Carol Feeney and Shelagh Donaugh(sp?). Examples of the highest level of the sport were introduced to me at an early age which made it all seem more tangible, I mean what novice swimmer gets to meet Mark Spitz their first year? I went home that summer after getting cut and wanted to work that much harder to make it the next year. Small goals led to bigger goals.
3. Best race/practice, worst race/practice?
2002 World Championships was my best race for a couple of reasons. We won, yes that was fun. But the race was one of my best more so because it verified for me that you can still be nervous as all get out. You can have self-doubt, and think all of those horrible thoughts of will I survive? Am I going to make it to the end? And yet we still won. It was a hurdle for me and going to the starting line has been a more enjoyable experience since that race because I welcome those feelings and recognize them as a good sign rather than beat myself up about them.
My worst rows/practice. I think the worst and best rows go hand in hand. Some of my worst rows I later look back on as the better ones because of what I learned. I won't forget the first 2x6K erg workout I did as a freshman in college. The team went white when Mark told us the workout. I think we were told to go no slower than a split and a half off of our best 6ks. Kate MacKenzie was a senior and I remember halfway through the second of the 6Ks, through my own miserable haze of pain, I watched as Kate got off her erg and bolted for what looked like the door. Mark went after her until he realized she was headed to a trash can to vomit. She wiped her mouth, hopped back on the erg, and still beat me by a good few seconds on that second piece. Little did I know how many more of those workouts I would do...
4. Best/Anything you've done in the sport no one knows about?
Hmmm. Probably a million things, but nothing worth telling.
5. Any/Most important advice for young rowers?
1. Start with a small goal, go after it, see it through, and then make another one. They keep adding. One day you look behind you and realize that all of those little goals are what got you to the big one. 2. Most importantly, though cliché, you have to see yourself where you want to be more than anyone else. It doesn't matter if your coach or your parent is telling you what you can do as long as you believe it yourself. 3. Remember you do this to have fun. Check in with yourself on that one. Make sure you don't take any practice so serious that you're not having fun anymore.
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