By Megha Lakha
When Lauren Smith went to a week-long rowing camp in 8th grade, she “never would’ve thought that rowing would be such a big part of [her] life.”
She said she wanted to find a sport that she could participate in for all four years of high school, and had tried other sports but hadn’t found one she loved. She also liked that Lovett didn’t have a crew team. “I felt like I could branch out and try things that weren’t typical,” Lauren said.
Lauren’s life “revolves around rowing now.” She practices every day, which can take up a lot of time due to Lauren’s demanding AP and honors classes. “I’ve learned to manage time a lot better,” Lauren said. “I have to use my time wisely because my afternoons are super busy.”
Her love for rowing wasn’t immediate. “I was really bad when I first started racing,” she said. “But the races become more fun the better you get since the boat moves faster, so that motivated me to push myself harder.” Lauren says your “seat is never safe” in the boat, so it’s important to stay locked in.
Last spring was a super busy time for Lauren. With infamous AP AmStud exams and the crushing pressure of junior year, Lauren also had to show up for her team. “I’d been racing in the same boat for 3 months with the same nine people, so we had a really close-knit group,” she said.
The team had a common goal: to beat this other club in Atlanta. “It always seemed impossible, but we kept telling ourselves we were going to do it,” Lauren said. “For our very last race, we beat them and qualified for nationals in Sarasota.” This was one of her favorite moments with her team.
While every season is busy for Lauren in terms of rowing, this fall was especially busy. Every race is away, and there are usually 3-4 in the fall. “It’s a lot because we have to load all of the boats and equipment onto a big trailer and drive the stuff wherever we are racing,” Lauren said.
As for her daily practices, they are in Roswell on the Chattahoochee. Lauren says there’s “definitely a strong community for rowing.” Since rowing is such a rare sport in the southeast, communities from multiple states often come together to form a region, resulting in tight-knit communities.
Lauren is still waiting to see what her future will hold. “I would definitely be interested in continuing rowing in college and am excited to see where it can take me!” she said.
