Olivia Kurinsky '26 Recruiting Profile

I played volleyball for most of life growing up, until I joined CRF Rowing in the fall season of my freshman year. That first time on the erg is a day I'll never forget. Something about the sport was so interesting to me, so I knew I had to get on the team and try out. Switching from volleyball to rowing was a hard but necessary change for me as an athlete. Whenever I stepped on the court, I wanted to throw up and felt so alone, but when I get in the boat before a race I feel nothing but excitement and adrenaline. Volleyball wasn't giving me what I was looking for. I wanted competitiveness, drive, and difficulty at every practice, so rowing has changed my life in those ways. I never feel alone on my rowing team, and you can always count on me to bring my encouraging pep talks and amp up the positivity after a hard practice or race. I've made many friends through rowing, and I would call my team my second family. I'm a very competitive and positive person when it comes to rowing, and I will always put in the work to succeed no matter what.