With the oar, I have transformed my body into a machine. The synchronized and constant motions have trained every muscle in my body. Getting to this point has taken a lot of sweat. I have learned to keep running despite my muscles screaming in anguish; I’ve learned to pull my oar through water pristinely, barely making a splash. I have put in hours of power pieces and technique work and it always seems to pay off on race day. The last two hundred meters in the race are always the hardest; my chest burns, my legs are sore, and I throw the water. But the last ten strokes I beast through. It has taken a lot of focus but I ignore the little voice in my head that tells me to stop and rest.

“Crew is life…everything else is just details.” I do not think I thought about that motto when I first joined. For eight seasons, I have spent thirty hours a week rowing. Managing my time around my hectic schedule has become a habit and second nature to me. And my time for doing academic work is precious. Unlike most teenagers, I do not have the luxury of spending an afternoon on my couch browsing through channels and procrastinating. Instead, I do my calculus homework on a picnic table and wait to cheer on my teammates and peers. Joining this team has strengthened my principles and tested my dedication. From waking up at four in the morning to rowing in forty-degree weather, I am fully dedicated to the rower lifestyle.