Chris on Rowing on the Anacostia River

Friday, December 18th, 2009

“I go to Gonzaga High School and have been rowing for three years now. At first, I didn’t know what rowing was, but I didn’t make the basketball team and thought I would give it a try. Now, I am the stroke man for our boat, which means I set the pace. It is a big team sport because you have seven other guys with you in the boat. We all need to work together seamlessly. Our crew program was not that great, but it has really turned around. Last year, we were national champions. We went to race in England at the Henley Royal Regatta. We made the semi-finals there. That is a big deal for us, the school and this city. It is one of the most important races in the world. In the area, we have a big rivalry with St. Albans School. We have a big race every year called the Foley Cup, or God Cup as we like to call it. It is always a really close race, but we won this year.

Now, I am the stroke man for our boat, which means I set the pace.

“Rowing in D.C is nice because we practice on the Anacostia River. The water is usually pretty good except in early February when it gets windy and rough. The river gets a bad rap, but there is a beautiful, small strip of water that we call Narnia because it is always flat. We named it after the C.S. Lewis books. It is this nice little area where both us and the University of Maryland practice. It really shows how beautiful the river used to be.

“My time rowing in this city has been wonderful. You really bond with the guys. I have strong friendships with my teammates and even when I meet other rowers who I don’t know, there is this bond. I mean, we work so hard every day and get up at crazy hours. That kind of insane life is going to bring people together. I really want to continue rowing in college. I am going to miss rowing in this city a lot.”