Rowing: Our New Love

If this is the way things roll (or row?:)) now around here, this blog has very little chance of survival!! But I need it:) My kids miss it and I miss it as it helps me keep good record of our happenings. So although it's February when I am writing it, I'll date it back to October because that's when this actually happened:)

The story began in August though. I was browsing the new Apex/Cary mom's group I'd joined and saw a post announcing that a local rowing team was looking for middle schoolers to help them with coxing. I had no idea what it meant. And I also didn't know what a COXSWAIN was. But I looked it up and will share it with you:))

From the official source of the online dictionary here is the definition.
cox·swain

ˈkäks(ə)n/

noun

1. the steersman of a ship's boat, lifeboat, racing boat, or other boat.

   
   

I asked Katya if she wanted to find out what it all was about, she said "yes" and then went to the first meeting at Jordan Lake on a Saturday morning and we were hooked.

This Jordan Lake rowing team is a club, organized by a former professional rower from the UK Jim Walker (to be honest, we were just missing hearing British accent, that's why we joined-hehehe) and his wife Heidi who is American. Their daughter rows and so they decided to organize their own team to stay closer to home. They row year-round pretty much except when it's super cold or wet or during the holidays in the winter. Because it's North Carolina, when it gets warmer, they have to be at the lake by 7:30 am and then they row for a couple of hours (although they will increase the time soon). During darker months, they start at 8:30 am. Although the team rows on Friday afternoons after school, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons, Katya goes only on Fridays and Saturdays, but it works well because there are three coxswains who sort of make it work between themselves.

So on the first day of October, we had an opportunity to finally see Katya in action at Highpoint, NC. The day turned out to be just majestic! Our whole family traveled to the destination super early and set up our spectator spots. Katya was coxing the women's 8 boat.

One thing with regattas, you get to spend a lot of time outdoors waiting for your turn to race and watch your team race. The boys had books and things to do, but next time we'll bring more food.

Here are the hardworking girls. All are in high school except Katya. 

We had a nice gazebo set up with snacks and drinks for the team. All around us, other teams had their "camps" set up, and out by the snack wagons and buses, lots of other rowers were stretching and warming up getting ready to race. 

Finally it was our girls' turn. 

This is when Katya helps a lot giving commands on when to lower the boat, turn, etc.

Almost ready!

Isn't it a beautiful view!!?

We waited for their boat with anticipation to appear from the other side of the lake. The route didn't allow us to see their whole race but only the beginning and then the very end. But it was enough! All boats departed in intervals, so they didn't race each other directly. We were expecting to see Katya's boat right after the third boat as that was the order in which they were racing. Instead, after seeing the first boat, we saw our Jordan Lake boat, passing the second one! So their boat caught up with the third and beat the second one to come in SECOND overall in their line up! It was super exciting!

At this point everyone was cheering them on. 

And here is Katya cheering for her team!!! Well done!!

Finally, the results:)!

As we were leaving the regatta, we realized that Robert and I absolutely loved the whole atmosphere of the race, the outdoors with beautiful surroundings and the team spirit. We hope Katya continues with rowing (coxing) even if it requires one of us to get up before 7 am on Saturday mornings to drive her 20 minutes to the lake:)

Spring races, here we come!!!