March 2, 2006

Some may wonder why rowers wake up before others go to bed, why we dress in layers of spandex and then go out to row while there is snow on the dock and ice on the oars...why we suffer through almost eight minutes of lactic acid build-up during 2K tests, strain our bodies during endurance lifts, and spend our breaks training together three times a day...

But to me, rowing is my confidence and my vitality.

With each extension toward the port rigor, with each drive through the water, and with each slide up to the catch, I find myself focused on the rhythm. Nothing is in front of me except the slim stern of the boat slicing the river with grace and effortlessness. As we glide under the bridge, the snow-covered banks and the still water welcome us into a world of tranquility. With all four rowers concentrating on finding that right handle height, feathering the blade at the appropriate time, and accelerating through the drive, we silently work together to create the pulse of the boat. No sound is heard except for the clicking of the oarlocks and the blades swishing in and out of the water. It's like we have entered an untouched world...a mystical paradox of natural stillness and deliberate motion. As we power further and further from the bridge, the sun rises in the distance, casting an orange-yellow glow onto the river.

This is rowing in February.

And that is what keeps me going... what has taught me the lessons that I have carried out in all aspects of my life. It is teamwork, determination, dedication, self-discipline, focus, drive, and selflessness. Just like the continuous rhythm accelerates the boat through the water, each practice builds from the last.

We may be perpetually tired from early mornings and long days, but as determined rowers, we are addicts for success, always willing to give more for that perfect finish...

...and we live for those mornings on the water when the boat glides with perfect balance and synchrony, where in that moment, all is right with the world.

-Susan Shadle '07