Ava Johnson '25 Recruiting Profile

My two favorite things about crew are being on the water and being with and winning with my teammates. Since I was a young kid, I’ve always been fascinated by the water with the way it flows, rolls, splashes, and waves. On days when I’m on the water and it’s calm and glassy, it centers and relaxes me. On days when it’s rough with rolling wakes, it reminds me that water too is a part of nature, and it’s just expressing itself. Living in Lake Forest Park, I am surrounded by water. It is my constant when things around me start changing, I know it will always be there.

Another thing I love about crew is being with my teammates. When I first joined the team, I was a new student at my school just trying to make some new friends. Little did I know that crew would give me so much more than that. During the height of the pandemic, we spent countless afternoons erging in our respective basements, living rooms, and guest rooms. We were all separated by distance, and only connected by a screen, but we were somehow all still together. At the end of that spring season, my teammates and I who had erged the full year were invited to join varsity for the following year. Making this decision, I was tentative at first. I didn’t know if I was “good enough” for varsity, and it also seemed like a big time commitment. I ended up deciding on going to varsity though, and that decision would lead to some of the best memories of my life. Whether we’re chatting about random things in the locker room, cheering each other on for hard pieces, or just hanging out, we’re always there for each other, and we love bringing home medals. 

One of the reasons why our crew team is so great is that we all genuinely care for each other and enjoy spending time together. We’ve been together through cold and rainy fall regattas, devastating losses, exhilarating wins, and everyday practices, all of which have helped us to get closer to one another. Crew isn’t just a team, over the past few years it’s become a home and a family to all of us.

At college rowing, I hope to experience the peace of being on the water and find a community within the team.