A little over a year ago I had the opportunity to try rowing! I wish I would have kept it up, but it is an expensive sport. I randomly had gotten in touch with an old friends mom and she offered to let me try rowing. Since it is mostly an arm exercise, I was happy it would be something I could do. I’ve done a lot of rowing on a machine but this experience was way more complicated. You are rowing backwards and have to learn all the terms and how to get back in the shell (name of the boat) if it flips over. There is the stern (back) of the shell and the bow (front). You are rowing backwards and have to row at the same time and be super in sync with the team. The man that was teaching me was very helpful and a great teacher. Luckily he took charge and would yell, sweep and catch so that we would take a stroke at the same time. You also have to feather your oars on top of the water so that after a stroke you aren’t slowing down your team. The starboard (right) and the port (left) of the shell do everything at the same moment. There is so much more to learn than what I did in a hour and a half lesson. I wish I would have continued to row, but it is an exhausting sport and takes a lot of strength,patience, and memorization. I would go again for fun but wouldn’t want to join a team.
