Olivia Cagle '27 Recruiting Profile

I’m not going to lie; I have no idea why I row; it sure does hurt. It hurts when we run for miles on end, when biking stops time, and the erging truly is hell on earth.

However, on the water, in the boat, with the team, somehow it is different. It’s no longer about a singular moment of agonizing pain but about the bigger picture. The picture of perfect harmony, when everyone and everything is silent but the blades in and out of the water. The symphony of the catch, the slide, and the finish, born from the synchronization of the girls, is breathtaking. Once you are one, you pick up the pace, and you start to soar. It doesn’t matter what is going on in the world, for when it is a good piece, everything fades away, but the boat. All your problems dissipate into thin air, as soon as your blade is plunged into the water.

Then comes race day. Race day changes everything. You have busted your butt everyday to get to the regatta and now your girls need you. You know you have to win, there is no other option but to win, for you and your girls, as one boat. When you get that silly little ball across the finish line first, words cannot express the euphoria. You did it, the boat did it, and your team did it. Just like that, everything comes together making the hard days worth it. So yeah, I don’t mind the land days anymore, in fact I love them, because without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I am passionate, I am determined, and I LIVE to row.