Gibson McCoy '24 Recruiting Profile

Hello! My name is Gibson McCoy.  I have been rowing for Oregon Rowing Unlimited since November 2020 and have been on the varsity since June 2021. When I first started rowing I had no clue how much rowing would end up affecting my life. I did a learn-to-row camp in the summer of 2020 and I quickly found out how challenging competitive rowing can be. Before rowing, I didn't really play other sports. I did swim team for a month or two but quickly realized that wasn’t for me. I wasn’t motivated to try my best and found myself just playing around in the water. When I rowed for the first time in August of 2020 I realized that if I didn’t put forth my best effort on every single stroke then I didn’t really get anywhere and I would wind up disappointing my crewmates. In the boat, you have a responsibility to yourself and your other crew members to give all you can every stroke. This is one of the hardest things about rowing but it is ultimately one of the aspects of rowing that made me fall in love with the sport. 

Rowing has taught me many things that I am very grateful for and has motivated me in almost every other aspect of my life. It has taught me how to be a good teammate and to strive for personal excellence both on the water and in the classroom. Rowing has also made me a more determined person pushing me to achieve my goals and has shown me that hard work and determination pay off. 

If you had told me 3 years ago that I would one day willingly wake up at 5:30 in the morning to train before school, I would have said you are crazy but here I am. I spend almost all of my time at the boathouse training and the time I do not spend at the boathouse I am with some of my closest friends that I have made at rowing. In the summer I help teach the next generation of rowers at our learn to row program. I am currently a student at Northwest Academy in downtown Portland. I love going to rowing after school and it is something I look forward to every day. In college, I want to continue to row and be a part of a team, and to have a group of people that know we all have to work together to move the boat.