LUC Members Blog
When LUC was founded, a group of rowers would head down to Tempe each February to do some intense winter training with LUC’s founder, Rome Ventura. At the end of the camp, Rome would ask for each of the participants to write a little about why they row at Lake Union Crew. We’ve continued this tradition here today, with our current members sharing why they love the sport of rowing, and why they chose LUC. Here they are to share.
Team Building at LUC Mentioned
Our Team Building program was mentioned in 25 Best Corporate Team Building Activities in Seattle, WA, how fun! We don’t do a ton of team building since we focus on our programs but when we do it’s such a blast to see a bunch pf people who are used to working together off of the water learn the nuances of getting a boat to move together. It’s such a great exercise.
“Legs feed the wolf” – Anne-Marie Dion (Women’s Nat Comp, Learn to Row Coach)
If you’ve heard of the quote “legs feed the wolf“, you’ve probably watched the movie Miracle, which about a rag tag group of college hockey players who go on to beat the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Look it up, it’s a great movie.
I’ve been playing hockey since I was 10 years old, and it took me to places I never
Stroking the Women’s 8+ at the 2017 Row for the Cure in Seattle
dreamed. Because of hockey, I was able to go to tournaments, camps, and boarding schools, that I never would have dreamed about otherwise. Playing hockey got me into my college, Northeastern University in Boston, MA, and going to Northeastern meant I was able to move to Seattle. Without the sport of hockey I would not have found, and fell in love with, the sport of rowing.
Legs feed the wolf, legs feed the wolf.
When I moved to Seattle in June of 2016, I was walking around my Eastlake neighborhood and saw a flyer: Learn to Row at Lake Union Crew! Since I knew that I wanted something to workout for, not just to work out to stay in shape, I signed up for the next class that started in July. I fell in love with it after my first 3rd time on the water, after which I immediately went up to Karlyn, my LTR coach, and told her I had goals. I wanted to race at the Head of the Charles, I want to win medals, I want to do this sport for the rest of my life. Like any sane person she looked at me and told me that those are lofty goals, but if I work hard, I’m looking at a 3-5 year timeline before making it that far. I told her I understood completely and was ready to put in the work to get there, and I hadn’t even graduated from LTR yet.
Sitting in bow for the Women’s 4+ at the Tail of the Lake
Legs feed the wolf, legs feed the wolf.
I’ve been an athlete for a long time and I knew what it would take to get me to the next level: dedication and perseverance. I went to extra erg classes, lifted weights, rowed almost too many times per week, but after Regionals in 2017, just shy of a year after I had started rowing, I was asked to move up to the big leagues with the Women’s Nat Comp team. Before I knew it, I was seat racing for the Head of the Charles, and just a few weeks later, I officially made the Women’s Club 4+. We raced on a beautifully sunny Saturday afternoon and finished 17/53 with a time of 19:36, and a spot in next years race.
Legs feed the wolf, legs feed the wolf.
Whenever I doubted my goals, or why I was going the extra mile, I would remind myself: “legs feed the wolf“. The boat is the wold, and I feed it so it can be as fast as possible in any situation. I haven’t just found a team at LUC, I’ve found a family, and I wouldn’t give that up for the world.
Head of the Charles 2017