“As a freshman, I discovered TYRA when a high school counselor mentioned the increasing number of women’s collegiate rowing scholarships. Honestly, I was just looking for a sport that needed tall people and valued hard work. To my parents’ surprise, I fell in love with grace and power of crew, despite the blisters, sunburns, and aching muscles.
Suddenly my school life had balance, because the demands of rowing required careful time management to finish academic work. Regent even offered PE credit for my involvement on the team. And, of course, I gained much more than discipline and athleticism; I developed deep friendships outside of my school community and found camaraderie unlike any other sport. To this day, some of my closest pals are my boatmates from TYRA. The mounting intensity of each workout taught me how much stronger I could be, both mentally and physically. With this confidence, and a dose of insanity, I completed a 24-hour row for a world record. This inner toughness carried my teammates and I to a ninth-place finish in the WV4+ at 2012 Nationals. The same determination got me through injury and frustration, and eventually blessed me with a scholarship to row for Seattle Pacific University.
As an individual who values consistency, rowing aided my transition to college. The freshman anxiety of finding a niche melted away when I found my “home” in the SPU shellhouse. My teammates are like-minded in their competitive spirit and academically-driven goals. As a captain this year, I have the opportunity to influence and encourage my teammates to love the sport as much as I do.
I’m so thankful for the memories, the friendships, and the opportunities TYRA gave me to succeed in high school and beyond. Because of my experiences in rowing, I’ve grown as an athlete and a leader.”