Samantha Ryan '24 Recruiting Profile

After training for many years as a competitive gymnast, and as a participant and assistant instructor in Krav Maga, I was searching for a sport that would allow me to work collaboratively in ways that I had not experienced in individual sports.  Crew provided the physical and mental challenge I crave, as well as that element of teamwork I was looking for.  I started rowing in the summer of 2020, the summer before ninth grade and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.  Though my freshman year provided me with the opportunity to train hard and to refine my skills as a rower, I did not fully experience rowing competition until my sophomore year, when water time, training intensity, and competition ramped up.  My dedication to the sport paid off, as I was able to compete successfully on my team’s 1V8 and 1V4 boats during both the fall and spring seasons.  With the thrill of competition, my love of rowing grew exponentially.  Though training at a high level, especially working toward improving that 2k time, can cause some anxiety, I am reminded of a coach at Sparks rowing camp who said, “You can’t succeed unless you give yourself permission to fail.”  These words, along with other words of encouragement she shared, keep my attitude toward rowing and erging positive.  When I reach that threshold where I am exhausted and want to stop, I ask myself How far can you go?  How far can you push yourself? How deep does your well go?  Instead of fearing difficult workouts, I embrace them.  I view rowing as a fun challenge to see how far I can push myself, and I want to continue that journey in college.  This mindset not only applies to rowing, but to other areas of my life.  My willingness to dedicate myself to reaching a goal and to test my limits as I do so is something that I believe will allow me to meet personal, athletic and academic challenges in college and beyond.