Meet the Crew...

My sister told me I had to be free for May 15 at least a month ago. So, like the dutiful sister I am, I requested off (and got scheduled anyway) to be free for my sister's first (ish) big race. As the day approached my sister warned me: "Do not wear heels or anything... It's not like that..." Noted. But then, what do I wear? Dilemma... I wore pants (gasp), converse (gasp) and a fake chambray shirt from Primark.

So, honestly, I know nothing about crew. It looks pretty when it is done right, and it is an extremely athletic sport that challenges your body in crazy ways. There are different kinds of boats with different numbers of people set up in different ways. That's all I really got. I know that it is definitely a team sport and each individual adds to create a synchronized whole. My sister describes the boat as being "a well oiled machine... the rowers are all dumb jocks and the coxswain is the brain."

my sister's boat of newbies

The weather started out awful. It was rainy and overcast, but when the sun finally came out, the mugginess remained (unfortunately). It was misty weather and hazy understanding on the Cooper River in New Jersey.

The crowd was sporting memorabilia from the teams they were supporting in this North Eastern Sprints Event. It was so weird to see the Brown insignia after so long. Collegiate activities almost seem like a foreign language to me now, though in reality, it has not been that long.

mid race

My family sat on wet and muddy bleachers, listening to the two different announcers, saying two different things. The bandstand was near the finish line, so one announcer was talking about the winners and runners up, while the other was narrating the races where we couldn't see.

My sister's race, which started around 12:40, was a two boat race, with two 4's, meaning both boats had four people in it. This was one of her first sprints, she mentioned she was in a head race before, but my understanding is still weak on what that is. But Sunday was a big deal. Unfortunately, her boat came in second, but she was still excited to see improvement in herself, as well as her boat. She mentioned that her coach at one stage was embarrassed to have her boat on the water, but now says that Alix (my sister) has brought power to the 4. She said the last time her boat raced the same one they did on Sunday (she was sick), her boat got beaten, badly. Her boat managed to shave time off their race this Sunday, which shows improvement. My sister was a walk on and never rowed in her life before, but she is determined to improve and keep up with the challenge, which I really admire.

after Alix's boat passed the finish line

My family did not stay to see all the sprints, and the more important ones happened later in the afternoon. But we saw what we came for, Alix's debut(ish). It was really amazing to see her in action, learn about the sport and meet her teammates!

Fun times!!
xx