May 20, 2008

PHOTO GALLERY

As their rowing careers drew to a close, Carolina's seniors took time to look back on their time at UNC and look ahead to life after college. Here's what they had to say about getting started in rowing, their experience as Tar Heels and what's next.

Cara Van Dorn (Greensboro, N.C.)

How and when did you start rowing and what made you want to get involved with the sport?

I was a really competitive runner in high school and then ran a couple of marathons as a freshman and sophomore. After the second one, I was a little burned out on running and ready to try something new. I chose rowing because my cousin, Sarah, who rowed for Miami, encouraged me to try out, and I knew that it would be my last chance to learn to row for free! I fell in love immediately with the intensity of the sport, the competitiveness and the excitement of flying over the water. I never want to see an erg (rowing machine) again, but I definitely want to row for the rest of my life. It is somehow thrilling and relaxing, effortless and challenging, frustrating and calming all at the same time.

What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about the sport of rowing?

Most people think that rowing is mostly an upper body workout, but actually, all of your power comes from your legs and core. Also, the technical aspect of rowing is often overlooked - you have to actually be in a boat to understand how technically challenging it is.

What has been the highlight of your rowing career?

Learning how to scull and actually racing a 5k in a single (twice!) was the toughest, but most rewarding thing I've done in rowing. Also, every time Sarah, Stephen and Carrie are pleased with us, my rowing career gets another highlight.

I'm moving to Baltimore to coach novice rowing at Johns Hopkins, take chemistry classes at UMBC and work as a personal trainer at Charm City Fitness. I hope to become a Registered Dietitian and help elite endurance athletes optimize performance.

What's the most valuable lesson you'll take away from having been a member of the UNC rowing team?

Anything is possible. The human body does not have limits - you impose your own limits. Mental toughness and hard work can get you farther than you can imagine.

Lisy McIntee (Bala Cynwyd, Pa.)

What are your post-college plans?

I'll continue rowing this summer at a selection camp for the Under-23 National Team, held at UVA. I then plan to move to the Northeast to train year-round, in hopes of someday making the U.S. National Team. I'd also like to work for a non-profit organization at some point.

What will you miss most about being a part of the UNC team?

I will definitely miss the people the most. I'll miss having a team full of friends who inspire me, push me, and make me laugh on a daily basis. The support the team has given me for the past four years has helped me gain confidence in myself and my future.

What has been the highlight of your rowing career?

Seeing the team finish fourth at ACC's this year was by far my proudest moment at Carolina. Everyone worked so hard and really deserved to have a great finish. The day reaffirmed how much progress the program has made, so it was an extremely rewarding experience.

Sarah Low (Alexandria, Va.)

How and when did you start rowing?

I learned to row the summer before eighth grade at my high school boathouse. I was one of the tallest girls in my grade, and the coaches convinced me I could be good at the sport if I tried. Back then, my favorite sport was definitely field hockey in the fall, so I just started rowing to keep in shape. By the end of high school though, I knew I wanted to row in college. I don't plan on rowing any more after college after my two leg surgeries, but I really want to stay involved in the sport through coaching. This semester I've been really lucky and became the undergraduate assistant coach for our novice team, and the experience has been very rewarding.

What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about the sport of rowing?

That it's all arms! No seriously, rowing is a pretty tough workout for your entire body, and I don't think the work we do as rowers always gets the respect it deserves.

What has been the hardest thing and the most rewarding thing about being a collegiate student-athlete?

The hardest thing was definitely how to figure out how to adjust to college life. I came to UNC on an academic scholarship, but it took me a really long time to figure out how to balance rowing and my academic responsibilities. The most rewarding thing is my team - these girls are not only my teammates but also my best friends. I wouldn't have made it through these four years without them.

What will you miss most about being a part of the UNC team? Miss least?

My teammates! Especially the other seniors. I've been with them for four years, and I can't imagine not seeing them on a daily basis, and visiting them every holiday break I possibly can. I know that my moving to Seattle will make it hard to keep close friendships with everyone, but I also hope that whenever I get a chance to come back and visit we'll have the greatest reunions.

I won't miss the snakes in the boathouse ... even if they do protect us from rats, I'm just not sure it's worth it!

What has been the highlight of your rowing career?

My rowing career here at UNC was drastically shortened because of my injuries, so I'll have to go with the highlights of my young coaching career. This year's ACC Championship was the most exciting regatta I've been to as a part of Carolina Rowing. Not only did the coxswain 4+ win on Friday (with some superb coaching, of course), but we placed 4th as a team, our highest placement ever. The weekend was very tangible evidence that the program has gotten faster in the four years I've been here, and I'm so excited to see how far we can go in the next few years.

What have you enjoyed most about being a student at UNC? If you were giving one piece of advice to a freshman starting college in the fall, what would you say?

The atmosphere on this campus is AMAZING. Everyone has so much pride in being a Carolina student, and even more so much pride in wearing Carolina blue and being a Tar Heel. I'll definitely miss the crazy basketball environment, too - that was a new concept to me when I got to Chapel Hill, but I definitely dove right into the madness freshman year with the NCAA Championship.

It's hard to narrow it down to one piece of advice ... but I'd say the most important thing is to reach outside of your comfort zone and stretch your limits, whether that means joining a club or intramural team you've never heard of, or talking to that kid in your class you always sit next to, or even going to Franklin Street and trying a new restaurant by yourself. Take advantage of the amazing opportunities that are here in Chapel Hill!

What are your post-college plans? Where do you hope to be in five years?

I'm moving to Seattle two weeks after our last race. I start graduate school for Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership in the middle of June, and then I'll do internships during the school year. In five years, I hope to be working in an Division I athletic department in some capacity, though I don't know if I want to be in coaching or administration.

What's the most valuable lesson you'll take away from having been a member of the UNC rowing team?

Through my experiences with the UNC rowing team, I have learned a lot about my sources of inner strength. I learned so much more about myself through the struggles I've gone through and then the accomplishments I have reached. I wouldn't trade my four years on this team for anything.

Kathryn Winz (Raleigh, N.C.)

How and when did you start rowing? Will you continue to row after college?

I started rowing my sophomore year at Carolina by trying out for the novice team. I decided to try out for the rowing team because I was looking for an opportunity to be part of a team and to find a group of friends that would be like my family away from home. While I've really enjoyed rowing at Carolina I will not continue to row competitively after college but I do hope to row at leisure when I get the chance.

What do you think is the biggest misconception that people who don't know rowing have about the sport?

When you watch people row, if they're doing it well, it looks almost effortless. I think this makes rowing look like it's actually really easy, but in fact its a lot more physically demanding and more complicated than it seems.

What has been the hardest thing and the most rewarding thing about being a collegiate student-athlete?

The hardest thing has been having to make sacrifices for training. Rowing means giving up a lot of your break time so while everyone else is going on vacation you're training two times a day. The most rewarding thing has been meeting such a great group of friends that I know I'll keep in touch with long after I'm out of school.

What will you miss most about being a part of the UNC team? Miss least?

I will miss being around my teammates. It's nice to be able to just walk out of my room and two of my teammates, or best friends, are right there and my other teammates are right around the corner. I'm also going to miss the adrenaline that comes with racing. However, I'm definitely not going to miss the erg room. I never want to go back there.

What has been the highlight of your rowing career?

Coming in fourth place at ACC's, hands down. That was the most fun. The whole team was so excited about our best finish ever. It really made all of our hard work worth it.

What have you enjoyed most about being a student at UNC? If you were giving one piece of advice to a freshman starting college in the fall, what would you say?

I've enjoyed just walking around campus - it really is beautiful - as well as going to different athletic events. I would tell freshmen to find their own niche so they don't feel lost at such a big school.

What are your post-college plans? Where do you hope to be in five years?

Next year I'll be going to graduate school through the School of Education at UNC. I'm going for a Master of Art in Teaching. After one year of that I plan on teaching high school history. In five years I hope to be teaching in the Raleigh area and possibly with a kid ... who knows.

What's the most valuable lesson you'll take away from having been a member of the UNC rowing team?

The most valuable thing I'll take away from having been a member of this team is that I've learned how to push myself through some really tough practices and workouts when I didn't think I would be able to finish. I figure if I can make it through that then I should be able to make it through anything.

Maegan Wareham (Carmel, Ind.)

How and when did you start rowing and what made you want to get involved with the sport?

My freshman year of high school my history teacher was the local rowing club's varsity coach. He saw that I was an athlete already, playing basketball and other sports so he asked me to try out. Within the first week I fell in love with the sport and the team. After 8 years of rowing it has become a part of who I am and I cannot imagine doing anything but continuing to row whether it is competitively or for leisure, but I have no formal rowing plans as of right now.

What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about the sport of rowing?

A lot of people think that it is an easy, upper body sport that anyone can learn. However, it is a full body sport that has been ranked as one of the hardest forms of exercise along with other sports such as cross-country skiing. It takes a dedicated and driven individual to be able to stay with this sport and to be successful at it.

What has been the hardest thing and the most rewarding thing about being a collegiate student-athlete?

I will not miss waking up at 5:30 to get my butt kicked every morning, but I will miss the feeling of being out on the water early in the morning while the sun rises. But what I will miss the most is my teammates - all of them have become like sisters to me and they made the sport worthwhile.

What has been the highlight of your rowing career?

Signing a national letter of intent with UNC. I never thought that rowing would open so many doors for me and receiving an athletic scholarship to the best university in the country is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

If you were giving one piece of advice to a freshman starting college in the fall, what would you say?

Never waste a minute because it will be over before you think! Do anything and everything you want and don't wait because you may never get the chance to do it again. While some days you may want to give up, it is truly worth it in the end and you will never regret sticking with it. HAVE FUN!

What are your post-college plans? Where do you hope to be in five years?

In June I am leaving for a bike trip across the country from Florida to California with a program called Bike and Build. For two months my teammate Kelsey Grich and I will be biking every day while building houses and funds for affordable housing in every state we cross through. However, my future plans for a career or where to live are still up in the air. Hopefully I will figure that out sooner rather than later!