Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Rowing Journal - Elizabeth Aigler
11/23/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Nov. 23, 2009
My experience with Bucknell Women's Rowing has been a bit different than most. Arriving at Bucknell this fall, I expected to join a couple clubs, maybe try an intramural; little did I know I would soon be part of an accomplished Division I team - in a sport I had never done. My journey with rowing began a mere three months ago but it has become a major part of my identity here at Bucknell. As my novice teammates and I have learned, novice rowing is all about finding a balance between learning to do things correctly and picking up things fast. It is also important to know when to blend in and when to step back and ask for help. Having such incredible coaches and teammates to inspire us has made this challenging process incredibly smooth and rewarding.
At first, having never rowed before college set me apart from the other girls. However, in my first row I found myself in an octuple integrated among experienced, strong rowers. As novices we were essentially mixed in with everybody else and expected to learn quickly. While this method was intimidating at first, I believe it made us stronger, more confident rowers. Rowing in a single days after holding an oar for the first time was quite an experience. Trembling in an unbalanced boat all alone, trying to stay above water was terrifying. I remember I would periodically just freeze mid-stroke, too afraid to surrender my oars to the water. Yet, looking back it allows me to appreciate how far we have come. Repetition and perseverance proved to be the best teachers, as we were successfully rowing singles among our teammates by the end of fall.
Today was our last practice as a whole team with coaches until January. Running stadiums together under the lights, I realized how much I have learned from my teammates over the past ten weeks. I remember my first attempt at stadiums and it was pretty weak; I would do a kind of bouncy walk to give the impression I was jogging. Every “up” was a daunting obstacle standing between me and finishing, which was really my only goal. Today it was different. The driving force behind me was my team and my efforts extended beyond just “getting it done” as an individual. We pushed ourselves and each other to make the most of our last official team workout. Now every “up” was an opportunity to go faster and give back to the team which has given me so much. Seeing my teammates encouraging one another as we worked together provided motivation to keep pushing hard as we embark on more individual training in weeks ahead.
When I showed up to my first Learn-To-Row information session, I had no idea what was in store for me. Now, I cannot imagine how my college experience would have transpired had it not been for rowing. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of the team here at Bucknell. After many early morning practices and intense workouts I am still as excited to row for Bucknell as I was the day I decided to try something new. While my fellow novices and I still have a long way to go, the foundations and relationships we have formed will allow us to devote our efforts wholeheartedly to the team in months ahead.
- Elizabeth Aigler '13
