Payton Tonnos '22 Recruiting Profile

Since I was a young girl I have always been immensely competitive. I grew up with three little brothers and between the three of us we were always having competitions. The problem was I never truly found a sport where I could express my competitive drive and take it to the next level. I participated in every sport under the sun but I never felt "at home" in one of them, or at least until I found rowing. Going into highschool I had someone tell me that I looked like I would make a good rower and should give it a try. Me being my adventurous self I of course did, and fell head over heals in love with the sport. I have never truly understood when people would say that they don't just do a sport, the sport is their life, but I get it now. Rowing has become not just my passion but my life, my best friends are there, I wake up and want to be at the course. There is something special about being on the water. This passion is something I know will carry me far in my rowing career. I hope to be able to express and bring this passion to your team while continuing to pursue my love for the sport at the collegiate level. Something my dad has always taught me from a young age is that "natural talents are great but they can only take you so far. At the end of the day the people who make are the people who want it the most" and I can assure you that I not only have the athletic gifting, but I want it and am willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

I am a very well rounded athlete and have competed at a high level in numerous sports that include: Soccer, Gymnastics, Track and Field and Cross Country. I am sill presently competing from my high school in Cross Country and have been the number one runner on my team in grade 9 and 10 helping to qualify my team for OFSSA both years and helping us place 10th (grade 9) and 6th (grade 10) overall at OFSSA.