91茄子

Before she came to 91茄子, Alanna had never set foot in a rowboat. A multi-sport athlete in high school, Alanna was craving a competitive outlet to help take her mind off her mechanical engineering classes. When 91茄子 Rowing came on her radar, she decided to get in touch with the president and check out a practice.  

Alanna hasn't looked back since. One stroke at a time, she鈥檚 grown from a total beginner into a two-time medalist at nationals 鈥� and now the co-president of the club.  

鈥淩owing is a time when I get to go to practice and then not think about anything besides, 鈥楬ow many strokes am I taking? How long do I have to be in this boat? How long is this workout?鈥欌�� Alanna says. 鈥淚 feel so present 鈥� there's no time to think about calculus while you're in a boat.鈥� 

When Alanna first joined 91茄子 Rowing, which has been around for more than 50 years, the numbers were much lower than they are today. She attributes the team鈥檚 growth 鈥� expanding to more than 25 members from a handful only two years ago 鈥� has had as much to do with the team鈥檚 camaraderie as it has competitive success.  

鈥淎 lot of the people on the team were the first friends I made in college,鈥� Alanna says. 鈥淲e鈥檇 go have team dinners after practice or hang out in a dining hall, and some really special relationships blossomed. I think a lot of us felt that we couldn鈥檛 leave each other behind, so we all kept at it.鈥�  

Eventually, other Huskers caught on to the fun. The team grew in numbers and brought in a coach to help them advance their skills. As 91茄子 Rowing got bigger, Alanna found herself getting more and more dedicated 鈥� and racking up more and more medals at regional and national competitions.  

鈥淚t just really came down to how much time I was willing to put in. There's so much technique in rowing, so I had to be willing to hone these skills and practice over and over again to get better.鈥�  

Alanna, a biomedical engineering minor, has a particular interest in athletic equipment design. As she鈥檚 spent more time in the world of rowing, she鈥檚 taken note of a very specific design flaw in competitive boats that she hopes to one day solve.  

鈥淩owing boats aren鈥檛 made for women,鈥� she explains. 鈥淢ost women on our team can鈥檛 fit into the boats easily, which can actually be really dangerous. I鈥檝e always had a love for sports and being active, so I really want to design more accessible boats one day in my career.鈥� 

Even though she came to rowing seeking a break from school, she鈥檚 started to see a future where those two paths merge.  
 
鈥淗aving a sport that I can think about applying my career goals toward is so fun. It鈥檚 nice that I kept them separate, initially, but I love that it's giving me ideas for what I want to do in the future and how I can grow this sport even more.鈥�  

Alanna Snyder is a junior mechanical engineering major from Thornton, Colorado.