This year I decided to join the Ohio State Club Rowing team. I can’t recall why I chose rowing over any other sport: I had zero experience in rowing and had always done teach I que based sports like gymnastics and dance. Nonetheless I went to the first few practices not knowing how much of an impact rowing would have on my life in such a short period.
In the first few weeks I could see my improvement. I felt dedicating to being the best athlete I could be. My teammates pushed me to be better and I did the same for them. That’s not to say there weren’t challenges. I had to learn how to balance my school work with the daily practice schedule. It has been hard some weeks as midterms come and go. But, I found that having a consistent schedule helped me stay accountable for my work.
Our practice season worked right into our competition season. On October 31 our team packed into vans at seven in the morning and made our way to the Speakmon regatta. I was incredibly nervous to compete in a sport I had started just two months earlier but once we started rowing I knew that our practice had payed off. My boat won our first race ever. It was so exciting to hear that everything we had sacrificed in the past few months and all the hours we had spent were all worth it.
The biggest things I’ve learned from rowing are discipline and perseverance. I have always been highly motivated to do well but frequently experience burnout. But with rowing I know that I can’t take days off because my progress will suffer. Everyday I show up to practice, even when I’d rather stay home, I am happy that I went. I see my times improving and can even see physical changes in my muscles. I have stayed with this sport for this semester and can’t wait to see what else I can learn.