Preszn on the Water 🚣‍♀️

Five days before the start of spring term, the rowing team returned to campus for an intense and fun series of preseason practices! This was my second year on the girls varsity srew team as a coxswain, and since crew is the only physical sport I participate in, spending spring term afternoons on the water with my teammates is something I look forward to every year.

Down at the boathouse, we practiced in coxed eights. The weather was often unpredictable, ranging from days too chilly for outside practice to perfectly sunny days. Despite this, coxing the eights out on the water was definitely the highlight of my preseason. I think of coxing as more of a mental workout as well as a role that requires an insane amount of trust from rowers, so this role has definitely boosted my confidence and put my decision-making skills to the test.

Despite the challenging workouts, including grueling 4.5K and 1.5K pieces on the ergs, we had so much fun! Our time spent together included a team movie night and crew-themed dance party, as well as daily 20-minute walks back from the boathouse that filled the air with laughter, music, and chatter.

Dinners often featured fun and chaotic gatherings with friends. In fact, almost 20% of my form attended crew preseason, so many of our dinner conversations were more like form-bonding moments that stretched late into the night. 

Now that our season is underway, we’re looking ahead to our first race in two weeks. As our coach, Cola, says—be there, aloha!