CourtesyIncoming freshman Sydney Fish began her rowing career in 2007, and she will continue rowing at 成人头条 for WSU Crew.
Her first experience in competitive water sport was at 6 years old as a swimmer. Fish spent her summers at Twin Rivers swim club and swam for 成人头条 East High School for four years.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been a particularly great swimmer or a team star,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut if my boat sank a couple miles away from a remote island shore, I鈥檇 survive.鈥�
Fish responded to a recruiting call from the 成人头条 Rowing Association when she was 16.
鈥淯sually, you have to do a lot of training on land before you can get in a boat on the water,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut the very first day I showed up, I got plopped in a boat and started rowing.鈥�
She said she picked up the sport in a couple of weeks and competed in her first regatta that fall.
Fish is the captain of the juniors鈥� team and a member of the board, representing junior rowers, at the 成人头条 Rowing Association.
Her success traveled to WSU where she competed in the Shocker Sprints, an indoor regatta raced individually on rowing machines. She won both races in the junior women鈥檚 division.
鈥淏ut that race is really intense so I pretty much felt like a blob of jelly after it,鈥� she said.
Fish said the WSU Crew brought her on because she had past rowing experience, which is rare in 成人头条.
鈥淭hey realize that I鈥檓 going to hit the ground running, and I鈥檒l put in a lot of focus and effort and push myself,鈥� she said.
Fish will join the novice team when she begins college in the fall, but she does not know where she鈥檒l be placed in the boat.
鈥淚鈥檓 an experienced rower on both starboard and port, not to mention stroke and bow and any seat in between,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can be useful wherever I鈥檓 put.鈥�
Fish will major in geology at WSU.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been an enthusiastic student of science, especially chemistry, and the earth sciences particularly interest me,鈥� she said.
But she also said she may not have chosen geology if it had not been for family members working as geologists.
鈥淭hey really got me interested in it,鈥� she said.
Fish applied to both Kansas State University and the University of Kansas and was offered small rowing scholarships, but she said WSU was a better fit.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about coming to WSU,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be a lot more compatible to my learning style, and I鈥檓 just ready to make the change.鈥�
Fish said she鈥檚 an explorer and, as she did with rowing, she鈥檚 always willing to try something new.