By Lillian Malmberg '17
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara Broncos (SCB) spoke with freshman Olivia Sanchez (OS) of the rowing team about what it takes to be a rower and about the love and dedication that she has for the sport.
SCB: What made you decide to continue rowing in college?
OS: There are many things I love about rowing, a few being the team atmosphere and camaraderie, the killer workouts, and the competitiveness. When it came down to it, I wasn't ready to give any of that up. This decision was an easy one for me.
SCB: Did you always know that you wanted to attend SCU?
OS: I first visited SCU as a sophomore and fell in love with it, but tried to keep an open mind while applying to colleges and making the decision. Ultimately, Santa Clara was the best fit for me, and I love it so far!
SCB: You have a lot of early mornings as a rower, do you have a morning routine or a certain way that you prepare for early practices?
OS: My routine for early morning practices actually starts at about 9:30 pm the night before when I set out my workout clothes and many layers (it's cold during our morning water practices!) and set my alarms. When my first alarm goes off at 5:07 am, I am usually really glad that I went to bed early. I have my phone background set as a photo of one of our sunrises to remind me how glad I will be when I get to the water. By the time my fifth alarm goes off, I am getting up and bundling up in all my layers, brushing my teeth, braiding my hair and trying not to wake my roommate up! It's really motivating for me when I get down to our meeting place in the mornings and see my whole team all bundled up and ready too, and to know that we're all committed to achieving our goals as a team.
SCB: What is your favorite part about rowing?
OS: My favorite part about rowing, besides the incredible team atmosphere and feeling like I have a second family, is actually rowing at sunrise. For me, nothing beats the feeling of finishing a hard piece in the boat during practice and looking over to see the sun peaking up and splaying reds and oranges all over the sky. It really is amazing and reminds me every day how blessed I am to be here and to be rowing.
SCB: Do you have any goals for this year?
OS: My goals this year are to get my 2k on the erg (rowing machine) down closer to eight minutes, and to become a stronger athlete overall.
