Life is too short to Not Row

I am a rower myself. I started rowing with Wayland-Weston Crew team in 2011, which was the beginning of my high school career. I was encouraged by my brother, who rowed all four years with WW crew during high school, to try rowing out because I had the body type and loved to be on the water. Without hesitation, I tried rowing out. The moment I took my first stroke on the water with an oar, I feel in love with the sport. I have been doing it for over three years now and reminiscing on how much I have developed in the sport. Looking back, I wish it had not gone by so fast, because I remember the days when the sun was setting and I was banging out thirty stroke pieces with all eight of my best friends. Those are the kind of days that I live for.

           

Two weeks ago I rowed in the 50^th Head of the Charles Regatta. This was my third time racing in the Men’s Youth Eight category. Not only was the race my last HOCR with Wayland-Weston, but it was also was my last 5000 meter race of my high school rowing career. I will forever look back on that last race because of its huge significance to the rowing world. The actual 50^th HOCR was my last HOCR. How cool is that!? The regatta was first held in 1965 and since then, it has grown to become the most renowned crew race in the world.

Starting bow number fourteen at the start line was an incredible feeling. I felt that cheesy moment when you think about all that you have accomplished and that you have been working all your career for this one race and one time to perform your best. It sent shivers down my back. During the race I was totally focused on stroking the boat, so I don’t remember really anything except for the wind blowing across my face and hearing my breathing pattern hissing by. After the race was done, I thought to myself that that was the fastest race that I have ever done. It felt like six minutes had gone by, not fifteen. I lived and breathed every moment of that fifteen minutes, yet I was still in disbelief. Rowing is my passion and nobody can take that away from me in this lifetime.