Holden Simpson May '22 Recruiting Profile

I found rowing in the summer of 2014 when my family friend, a previous rower and graduate of Boston University, introduced me to it. I took a week-long learn to row camp at Austin Rowing Club and was immediately hooked. Coming home after the third day, my first time on the water, I asked my parents if I could transition from playing Tennis to become a rower.

From there I joined the Junior Novice team where I faced many struggles. My biggest being that I faced at the time was being so young. I was twelve years old when I crossed my first racing buoy in Oklahoma City in a Novice 8+ event, while all of my teammates were over fourteen years old. I was the black sheep of my crew, and I had to pull twice as hard on every stroke to prove myself to them.

I’ve taken that lesson of proving myself through novice year and adopted it into my out view on High School. Mixed with my strength of being a natural-born leader, I hope to graduate with academic distinctions and take my skills and lessons to a higher level and field in hopes of helping others.