9 August 2023

By Athena Santana

Athena Santana is a high schooler in Florida who loves the sport of rowing. She started out rowing but soon found out that with her small frame, she would do better in the cox seat. “It has been a journey of growth, learning, and finding my place on and off the water,” Athena writes.

There is an inexplicable magic in sitting at the start line, surrounded by other boats, exchanging silent glances, and feeling the tension build up. It was an obsession that took hold of me. Rowing, unlike any other sport, provided a unique blend of trust and friendship among my crew members. Winning a race was not just about physical strength; it was about the unshakable bond between teammates, the trust they had in each other to give it their all.

I started my rowing journey in the 8th grade at my high school NSU University School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was in the bow seat of a women’s quad. I was petite, standing at 5 feet tall and weighing only 100 pounds, not the typical build for a rower. Despite my size, I was determined to be an active participant and contribute to the team’s success. I quickly learned how to steer boats using foot controls while simultaneously rowing. Others hesitated to take up the challenging role of bow seat, I embraced it with enthusiasm, understanding the vital role it played in the crew’s performance.

As I progressed into the 10th grade, I found myself facing a physical gap compared to my teammates. They were growing stronger and faster, while I struggled to keep up. It was frustrating because I didn’t want to give up my seat. Becoming a coxswain was in the back of my mind. However, I knew that to truly understand the rower’s experience and become a better coxswain, I needed to row and feel both the thrill of victory and the sting of defeat.

The opportunity to participate in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta fueled my determination. The Head of the Charles is the largest regatta in the world. Even though I knew I couldn’t compete in seat racing for a spot in the boat, I tried out for both the coxswain and rowing seats, hoping to be part of the event. To my surprise, I was chosen as the coxswain for a women’s quad. I had limited practice with the proper rigging for coxed quads. Since the course has sharp turns, a coxswain can make or break a race, and this was my first-ever coxswain race. On race day, I steered a perfect course, guiding my crew through the finish line. The experience fired a passion for coxing, and I found myself coxing and rowing in various regattas, often filling in for injured rowers or adding a rower to a boat if needed.

During the spring season, I wanted to explore the men’s side of rowing to become a more well-rounded athlete. I approached my head coach with this idea, and after proving my capabilities, I earned a spot in the senior 4+ boat. As a novice coxswain in an established crew, I felt lost initially, struggling to find my voice and make meaningful contributions. However, I refused to accept defeat and began working with the team to develop new strategies and lineups. We transformed our boat into a bucketed rig, requiring me to make much smaller steering adjustments as every move would unbalance the boat, causing us to move slower. But that was just the beginning of the challenges. The road to success demanded much more. It required waking up at 5 am for practice before heading to afternoon sessions after school. In the relentless Florida heat, we worked tirelessly, sacrificing weekends and personal time to be on the water. Regardless of the grueling schedule, I managed to keep up with my academics, balancing schoolwork with the rigorous training regime that included weightlifting in the gym and erging.

Despite our school’s limitations and having a smaller pool of rowers to choose from, we set our sights on competing with the best. We faced intense competition in the Men’s Varsity Youth 4+ category, where other crews boasted some of the strongest athletes from their varsity teams. Yet, with hard work and dedication, we managed to secure 3rd place at the Florida States in April, followed by a close 4th at Southeast Regionals in Georgia in May. We achieved 7th place in the nation at SRAA Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tennessee in May. Our success continued, and for the first time in our school’s history, we qualified for the Youth Nationals in Sarasota, the pinnacle of high school rowing competition. I stepped into Youth Nationals as a novice coxswain, the youngest in the boat, but my words and steering propelled my crew to impressive results.

It was a testament to the power of perseverance, teamwork, and the unbreakable bond between crew members, no matter the challenges we faced. Rowing has been more than just a sport to me; it has been a journey of growth, learning, and finding my place on and off the water. As I reflect on my career so far, I am filled with gratitude for the experiences, friendships, and what rowing has brought into my life. It is a sport like no other, testing both the physical and mental limits of individuals, and I am proud to have been part of every single stroke along the way.