Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Rowing Journal - Gillian Carter
10/31/2008 8:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Oct. 31, 2008
Last semester I spent five months in the southern hemisphere attending the most southern school in the world, the University of Otago, located in Dunedin, New Zealand. This life-changing experience was one of the best in my life, but it came at a cost. In going abroad the spring semester of my junior year, I missed out on the main rowing season. It is true that you never really appreciate something until you lose it. Throughout the semester I received updates on our team's accomplishments via e-mail and the Web site. I never felt such a gut-wrenching feeling than when I found out how awesome our team was doing and to not physically be a part of it. When I got the e-mail that our team had qualified for Eastern Sprints I was jumping for joy, but that joy was almost instantly subdued when I was unable to share my excitement with anyone else because no one understood how big of an accomplishment this was. Even when I tried to explain to my New Zealand friends how big this was, they would just respond with an apathetic, "Oh, that's great," and then change the subject.
When I returned from New Zealand, many people asked whether I would return to rowing or not. I was almost positive I was going to do it, but I had my doubts. The team I would be returning to would be completely different from when I had left. The seniors I had grown to love would have graduated, there would be returning novices and new recruits I had never even met before, and I would return to a team that had spent six months together training and growing closer as a unit without me. And let's not mention the fact that I had not been in a boat since November. Yikes!
Although the rowing did take a bit to get the hang of again (and I'm still working at it), I am 100% in love with this team and cannot believe I had doubts about coming back. Even though there is something special about the sport of rowing itself, I do not think I would enjoy it as much if there was not a team to enjoy it with. All 50-plus girls contribute individually to the spirit and drive that makes this team what it is. We are an army of women and it is very inspiring to see each lady push and excel with all the power they possess both on and off the water. It just gives me chills to think about what we look like when we run stadiums or when we all lift together Saturday mornings as one massive herd. I was very depressed to be disconnected from the team last semester, but I am very excited to be a part of it again and very, very excited for what the future holds for us. Go BISON!!!
- Gillian Carter '09
