Women's Rowing Sets Off On International Adventure

The Jacksonville women's rowing team touched down in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday morning for the first part of its international trip. 

“This whole season was different, for sure,” said head coach Mike Lane. “This season was just great at the end of the day. I think we worked really hard,  we've got great leadership and great kids in the program who make it fun for us, and they deserve everything they have gotten.”

The Dolphins are fresh off their third consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship, and recently made history at the NCAA Championships as the first Varsity Eight boat in both program and conference history to beat a school at the NCAA's. While JU is ecstatic with its success, the season had a unique perspective to the Dolphins lone fifth-year senior Hannah Williams.

“I think the season was really different for me," said Williams. “Just because I was coming back, and I wasn't really sure how I would be perceived as the only person from my class to take a fifth year. I felt this entire year we had this one goal that we were going to MAAC, we were going to win and then keep going to try and make history. Going into championship season was more exciting than nerve-wracking because of the work we put in to try and beat a boat at NCAA's.”

After spending the first week of the trip in Amsterdam, the team will head over to London, England, as it prepares for the Women's Henley Regatta on the River Thames. While in Netherlands, the team will utilize trains and bikes for travel, as well as walking to as many close by amenities as it can. For the short trip from Amsterdam to Henley, the team will take a short commuter flight over to London, and then train the rest of the way up to Henley.

“It's a little nerve-wracking,” added Lane. “I think a lot of the kids don't know what to expect, the coaches don't really know what to expect, but everyone is just really excited for this adventure and to experience a different rowing culture. In the Netherlands, rowing is huge, and England it is as well. Those countries celebrate it a little bit differently. In the States, a lot of people don't know what rowing is, so to be in a different environment will be really cool for the team.”

Generous donors made the trip across the pond possible, and remain responsible for the accommodations in both countries. While in Netherlands, the team will stay in a hotel about 45 minutes south of Amsterdam, and when they make the move to England, the crew will have the luxury of staying in three homes in the town of Henley, two houses for the athletes and one for the coaches. 

“The unique thing about our stay is the families will actually be present with us during our time in England,” said Lane. “We'll really have the opportunity to immense ourselves into the Henley culture. One of the families I know has two daughters so I'm sure our rowers will love spending time with those kids.”

As expected, the team has plenty of activities planned over the course of the next couple of weeks, and also has a pair of races scheduled. Boat tours around Delft, practices at local rowing clubs, bike trips to Hague and seeing the iconic Tulips that reside there are just a few to name in Netherlands. While in England the team will do things like tour the Harry Potter Studios, eat lunch at the Leander Boat Club, practice on the historic River Thames, as well as other activities. 

The two races that JU will compete in occur on June 16 in Amsterdam, called the ARB Bosbaan Wedstirjden, and June 21 in Henley, England, for the main attraction that is the Women's Henley Regatta. 

When asked about the opportunity, both coach Lane and Williams shared excitement and gratitude towards the school that allowed JU to make a move like this.

“I would like to say thank you to all of our donors who've given to the fundraising effort,” said Lane. "I'd also like to thank the athletes that aren't traveling, because they also help to support this initiative. Lastly, I'd like to thank the administration. I approached President Tim Cost about a year ago with this idea and he was all about it. Alex Ricker-Gilbert was all about it and said raise the money and you can make this happen. Thanks to their support, a little school like Jacksonville University can go and really have a presence on the world stage. That's what makes a place like JU really special, the people and having the chance to do something like this.

“It's really exciting to have this opportunity because I don't think I would've had the opportunity anywhere else, or if I hadn't taken my fifth year,” added Williams. “It's cool and I also don't have to be sad yet about the end of my career, because I can still row, like bonus time. I hope in two weeks time I can say I'm happy with how everything went and just knowing how I ended my career in Europe, that's it for me.”

FOLLOW THE DOLPHINS IN EUROPE

Keep up with the Dolphins whereabouts while they're across the pond on JUDolphins.com, Youtube and Instagram.