I believe I have the opportunity to row with some of the most incredible women on earth.  Kate Johnson is one of those women.  She and I rowed together in the US eight from 2001 through 2004.  Earlier this month, Kate had the awesome opportunity to serve as an Athlete Ambassador with Right to Play, an organization that seeks to create a healthier and safer world for children through the power of sport and play.  Please click on this link to RIGHT TO PLAY and read Kate's journal from her trip to Ethiopia.  Read along and you will agree that not only is Kate amazing, what she has done to help others and share their story is even more eye opening.

What an incredible last two weeks.  Two great competitions, two gold medals!  As for now, we are home again to hot and humid Princeton, training twice a day and putting in the miles.  It is great to be home.  Now, we have just under four weeks until we head back to England for the 2006 World Championships.  There is much work to be done and even though our European tour was fantastic, there is no time to waste.  Our real test of prowess comes August 20-27 in Eton! 

 

Lucerne Recap:

In the second most beautiful place on earth (Seattle is of course the best!),  we met up with almost a full squad in Lucerne, Switzerland for the third and final World Cup Race of  2006.  There were not as many countries racing as there were in Munich, but the women’s pair field was strong. 

 

Cooke and I faced the Dutch pair in our first race.  We had an early lead, yet failed to seal the deal as they moved with 500 meters to go and we bobbled during our sprint.  As disappointing as this was, after we worked on our communication and race plan, we felt ready to take a step forward rather than dwell on what could have been. 

 

Our rep went smoothly, despite the fact we were racing the 2005 World Champions from New Zealand.  We had a solid rhythm and led the entire race, not needing to sprint as we held off the Kiwis. 

 

Come Sunday and our World Cup final, we were ready to put a full race together.  We had the start, the base, and now to work on that sprint and make our move.  We were facing the World Cup leaders from Germany, who were in a new lineup since we raced them in Munich.  Their new lineup was undoubtedly fast, but Cooke and I are pretty fast too.  We were going for the win, as always. 

 

Off the start, we had an early lead of one second crossing the 500 meter mark.  We wanted to push ahead of the Dutch as they can really close late in the race.  We happened to be ahead of the Germans too!  That was a bonus, but we were racing our own race and lengthened into our solid rhythm.  Cooke was right on my back and we were really on.  I could hear our coach, Tom, yelling at us to “breathe” from his bike along shore.  Germany pushed hard in the middle thousand to build a length lead or more.  We were a solid second with the Dutch in third by a length.  Come the last 500, it was time to make our final push and leave nothing.  We knew we had silver, but we were going for gold.  As we added to our push, I heard Cooke and Tom both tell me we were moving.  That is all I needed to know to keep the drive on.  We stepped it up a bit more before the line and kept increasing speed to pass through the line a second ahead of the Germans. 

 

Ahhh, unbelievable, and at the same time, of course we could win!  This is what we have been training for all year!  We enjoyed wearing our gold medals and smiling for the camera that delivered our happy faces back home online.  This was not a one time thing, even though I am sure that is what the British announcers and others will say no doubt.  We are now a very competitive women’s pair and are ready to put in our final training to have a fantastic race in Eton.  I want to bring home a medal this year!  Many thanks to all who woke up in the early morning hours to watch us live.  I’m glad we put on a good show. 

 

 

Henley Recap:

It was a pleasure to row in an eight once again, and a very fast eight at that.  I was even in my favorite seat, 5 seat, which is what I rowed in Athens.  We had three races and joyfully won them all, as well as getting our names engraved on The Remenham Challenge Cup.  It was like college racing again to race one on one, rather than six boats across.  I think we raced well and with early leads in all our races, broke the crews mentally where it was hard to fight back.  We then lengthened to a comfortable rhythm behind our tall one, Caryn Davies, to keep moving to the line.  We proved our lineup is internationally competitive, and I hope this is the eight that will represent the USA in Eton for the World Championships.  Of course after the racing, we had much to celebrate and enjoyed Pimms and Champagne!  Not badJ 

That was fantastic!  What a trip down the course to win at Henley once again and with such a fast crew! 

 

I don't have time to write about our race quite yet as I am in Lucerne and have our first race tomorrow in the pair for the last World Cup... but I thought I should at least leave you all a few pictures. 

 

Pictures are worth a few more than all my words anyway.  I think all you need to know is that we had a blast and crossed the line first! 

Greetings from the 2006 Royal Henley Regatta! This is the way rowing should always be done, or at least more often anyway. We flew in to arrive Wednesday morning and are already two races along. Not only do we get right down to it and race, this is racing done in style. Side by side, winner advances, all along a white picket race course.

I was fortunate to be a part of the University of Washington Women’s Crew that competed here in the inaugural Remenham Challenge Cup in 2000. This was my first international racing experience and look where it has lead! I am now in my seventh year of rowing, my sixth year representing the U.S.A. It is such a pleasure to be back where it all began. My team is staying in the same 500 year old house owned by the fabulous Brian and Susan Triptree. There is even a pool! It is only a short walk to the racecourse on the Thames River. Everything is even better than I remember. I don’t know if it is because I was here so long ago, or that I am more appreciative now for such a great house and event. The town is definitely now better than ever because there is a Starbucks on the way. Hey, I’m from Seattle. This is globalization at its finest.

I am racing an eight for the first time since the Athens Olympics. I must say how excited I was to get back in my favorite boat of all time! Our lineup is: Cox, Mary Whipple (U.of Washington, Athens 8+), Stroke, Caryn Davies (Radcliffe, Athens 8+), 7, Caroline Lind, (Princeton ’06, US 8+, 2-’05), 6, Susan Francia (Penn, US 8+’05, US 2X ’06), 5, yours truly, 4, Lindsay Shoop (U. of Virginia, US 8+, 2-’05), 3, Anna Goodale (Syracuse, US 8+’05), 2, Megan Cooke (Cal, US 2X ‘5, my pair partner for ’06), bow, Brett Sickler (Michigan, US 2X ’06). I am loving this crew and all that we are accomplishing. I am proud to be a part of this crew.

Yesterday we raced Thames Rowing Club and won “easily” (the actual wording when winning by more than four lengths…). This was our first race in this lineup and we were so excited to show what we had in us that when it was time to relax and take the rate down it still took a while and the power stayed on.

After that first race, we were invited to the Leander Club for a National Rowing Foundation gathering. The N.R.F. played a huge role in brining us over here for this regatta. My favorite introductions involved the simple realization that we were the same women pulling down the course in our Lycra now standing before our hosts looking absolutely fabulous.

Everything is proper here, especially when it comes to the outfits for the Stewards Enclosure. My favorite is a sign that reads, “Ladies are encouraged to wear hats…” Alrighty then. Hats it is. We spent the early evening watching racing from reclining chairs and listening to live music by The Band of the Grenadier Guards.

With a few rows under our belts, we are warming up to the crowds shouting “yeah girls,” or “you’re the best boat out there” (referring to us being one of the only women’s boats out there…). Now though, we are getting more calls for “U, S, A.” That is more like it.

Today we raced the British National Team eight. The start was loud and the water was squirrelly, but we made out fast enough to get the lead by the end of Temple Island. It was our goal to never stop walking and we definitely made our goal. With record times to each of the marks, we kept even speed and solidified our rhythm. I think this shows that we are competitive internationally and have a solid chance at the Cup tomorrow against the Dutch.

This truly is a spectacle of a race and I am glad I can share part of my experience with you. It’s like Seattle’s Opening Day using only half the cut, having the Royal Court on call, and all involved drinking Pimms, wearing ties or skirts past the knee, and using marks like Berks, Buck, Barrier, and Folley.

Of course, when racing, we can just be ourselves. Our very fast and sometimes not so proper selves: sweating, grunting, pounding the life out of any and all who want to play. In the end, I hope however we can earn it, be it with style or pure ruthless guts, I hope for the polite clap. Oh yes, I hope to get another polite clap and get it first tomorrow as that will mean we won, and won by a lot.