Kalista Mendez '23 Recruiting Profile

Hello, my name is Kalista and I am currently a senior at Nolensville High School. After a few summer rowing camps with Stanford University, I came to the conclusion that I needed to find a club and row every day. In the beginning, I thought this sport was very hard and was challenged by the coordination and stability you needed just to begin rowing. My hands were blistered after the first week, my joints were stiff and I was so tired, and that’s also when I knew something inside me had changed. I wanted more and so I joined the Los Gatos Rowing Club in the fall of ’21. I saw right away the hard work and dedication everyone had, but also their incredible team spirit and I was so excited to be a part of this team! 

I worked very hard on building my strength and conditioning and starting growing my technical development. I looked forward to seeing what boat I was in and I loved being on the water. I would always run down the hill to practice and was ready to work very hard. We then moved to the Nashville area in July of ’22 and I am now with the Nashville Rowing Club. It’s something to know that all that hard work and dedication, team spirit and simple love for rowing can be taken to any club anywhere. I would absolutely love to continue my rowing journey throughout my college years and would love to be given this opportunity. I have a 4.07 GPA and have high aspirations to do something in the business field. Before becoming a rower, I danced ballet, did fencing, worked with horses and learned horsemanship, including riding and veterinary. All of these activities have helped me to effectively manage my time. I look forward to speaking with coaches to find the right fit for me and am ready to continue my rowing journey.