Henry Bolch '24 Recruiting Profile

I started rowing in the summer of 2021, and ever since then it has become a vital part of my life. Rowing is painful, exhausting, and uncomfortable but whenever I'm away from the water, I always find myself thinking about how much I just want to go back to it. 

Before rowing, I was a swimmer and a martial artist. I had a black belt in Taekwondo and helped my instructor teach classes. When I joined rowing, I thought that I wouldn't have much more athletically to achieve, but rowing showed me that I could achieve things I would've never believed I could do. I improved quickly at Oregon Rowing Unlimited, cutting my 2k time by over 30 seconds in one year and joining the varsity team within half a year of me joining. Qualifying twice for nationals in 2022 was amazing, and going to nationals in 2023 was one of the best experiences of my life.

Through rowing I found a great community that feels like a family, because everyone is welcoming and kind. I found a group of people who support each others passions and who are determined to work their hardest to achieve the best possible results they can. I love rowing, because it makes me continuously work hard to do more than the last time. I'm looking to continue this at whichever college I go to, as I would bring the same energy to the next family I join.

It would be amazing to compete at the college level, while also pursuing my academic dreams of learning history, political science, and music theory. I am a 4.0 student, who is part of a Japanese Immersion Program in Portland, Oregon. I have taken multiple AP, Dual Credit, and College level courses, so I am confident that I can row in college while continuing to learn whatever I will study. Wherever I go, I know I will push myself to my limit and beyond, because I want to improve as an athlete, student and person.