Kaley Yang: Rowing

When thinking about water sports, waterpolo and swimming immediately come to mind. However, one water sport that usually flies under the radar is rowing.

Despite its unconventionality, rowing is junior Kaley Yang’s favorite sport. “I got into rowing in eighth grade when my family friend introduced me to the sport,” she said.

Yang explains that while rowing seems simple, competitions feature much more complicated events. “In every competition, there are different events,” Yang said. “Sometimes, they have time trials, where they time you first and you’re basically racing against yourself. Then, you get put into different heats—A, B or C—depending on how fast your time trial was.”

Yang participates in around ten competitions a year. “When I compete, I don’t really feel nervous or anything like that,” she said. “I just feel really focused and locked in before every competition.”

In order for Yang to prepare for these competitions, she goes to long and frequent practices; she practices five days a week for two to three hours a day, often in the morning. “I love the early morning practices and being able to go in the water and watching the sun rise,” she said.

Another important factor of why she loves rowing is the teamwork aspect of the sport. “I also really like the team dynamic,” she said. “Everyone’s really close.”

Although Yang says that rowing has physical and mental challenges, she loves the sport and wishes to continue in college.