By Mia Merrill, Sports Editor
Q: Where are you from? A: Norwich, Vermont
Q: What is your major? What do you plan to do after Skidmore? A: I’m a business and management major and a Chinese minor. I plan to attempt to find a job after college and earn some money before hopefully going to graduate school.
Q: When did you start rowing? A: I started rowing freshman year of high school.
Q: Why do you love crew? A: There are many aspects I love about this sport, from the intensity, to [my] teammates, to the fluidity of every stroke. I love that, for me, [crew] really is the definition of a team sport, because when we cross the finish line everybody is in it together. In other sports, people can stand out, and people can still stand out in crew. However, when it comes to race day we are all put in a boat together and with every stroke, we are moving as one to make the boat go as fast as possible.
Q: How are you preparing for your upcoming season? Do you feel good about the prospects? A: I am preparing for the upcoming season by trying to get on a regular and healthy sleep and work schedule, since crew practice is, for the most part, in the mornings. As I was abroad last semester studying in China, I had difficulty staying on a good workout routine. However, [after] coming back in December, I tried as hard as I could to make up for lost ground. I feel good about the prospects because every season brings the good prospects of winning and working hard and, inevitably, the not so good ones.
Q: How does your team bond with their new members? A: Since I was not here when new members initially came onto the team [this year], I am somewhat out of the loop. However, as I have been the new member since coming back (with those who joined while I was abroad), I would say team bonding has been slow but steady, and has picked up since official practice started.
Q: What is one thing you want the student body to know about your team? A: I want the student body to know that my team is accepting of everyone, and once you're accepted to the team, you're part of the family. There is something truly special about having the support of teammates.
Q: What’s a favorite memory you have from being on the team? What’s been your greatest accomplishment? A: My favorite memory of being on a team has been spring breaks, when we go to Tennessee for a week of spring training. To say the least, it is far from a break because we are training heavily each day. But we use the time off well, by telling stories and cooking and relaxing and bonding. I think my greatest accomplishment was a couple years ago, at New York State Championships, when my boat was competing in one of the final heats. We somehow managed to pull into second in the end, through the tears, the pain, and the passion.
Q: Do you have any advice for students who are thinking about joining a team but are worried about balancing schoolwork and athletics? A: I would just say, try it. You won't know if you don't try, and yes, there will be hard times, but the good ones often outweigh the bad. So just give it a try – if it's not for you, then it's not for you, but balancing schoolwork should not be a huge factor impeding a new passion that you may truly come to love.