Opal Hays
Contributing Writer
Sophomore Vivian McGuire is currently in her second year of rowing for St. Louis Rowing Club (SLRC). Her main motive being the potential scholarships available to dedicated rowers.
Rowing is one of the oldest and most physically challenging sports today. There are eight rowing positions within a crew. The seats are divided into three main categories: the bow pair (seats 1 and 2), the power seat (seats 3 through 6), and the stern pairs (seats 7 and 8). As well as the coxswain that guides the boat and gives directions to the rowers.
Rowing is a year-round commitment, with practices occurring in every season except summer. The winter months are specifically practices only, while the fall season focuses on longer 5,000-meter races, and the spring season is more about faster 2,000-meter races.
McGuire has practices every day except Friday’s, from 4 to 6 p.m., alongside her 80 fellow rowers at SLRC. Not only is rowing a major time commitment, but it’s also considered an expensive sport due to the cost of equipment, maintenance, travel, and membership fees.
Reflecting on her experiences, McGuire said, “Going to the regatta (rowing competitions) and obviously winning them, is my all time favorite part of rowing, but at the same time, it can be challenging because everyone’s kind of pitted against each other to see who can do the best and it can get very competitive.”
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