Emmet Odegaard '20 | Crew
- Roster Bio & Stats
- Hometown: San Francisco, California
Major: Latin American Studies and Women's and Gender Studies
When I came to Wellesley there were few things I was sure of, but I knew that I was interested in joining the Novice Crew team.
I had always been drawn to the idea of rowing. Both of my parents raced outrigger canoes in California, so it seemed fitting that I would participate in the East Coast counterpart. When I first joined the team I remember the 6 am wake-ups and learning to row on Lake Waban. Naively enough, I figured that was how the rest of the season was going to go. I did not imagine that the 6 am wake-ups would turn into 4:15 am wake ups and that I would return to campus every morning before many students had woken up. I remember older members of the crew team laughing lovingly at my astonishment that we did in fact row in the rain. I remember my first race, the first time I met a rowing goal of mine, and my first caulus. I learned a lot that first year.
When reflecting on my time on the Crew team, I like to come back to my first year. I like to think about the young woman I was then and compare her to the young woman I am today. In many ways we are very similar, both about to embark on new chapters in our lives, and in many ways we are very different. My first year self did not yet have some of her best friends, nor had she experienced the many races, both with wins and losses, which at times taught greater lessons than the wins, that would form key memories at Wellesley. I feel empowered as I enter the world in no small part because of the Wellesley Crew Team. I know that I can accomplish what I set my mind to and I know that I have the backing of an incredible community who will push me to be better and will care for me when I fail.
I once met a woman, who I later found out was a well-respected rower, who told me that rowing is not just about the sport. Rather, what makes the sport so special is the lessons that the sport teaches you. I have taken these words to heart, but I think that for me, beyond the lessons that the sport has taught me, what has made this sport so special is the community that is the Wellesley Crew Team.