Feb. 20, 2007

Throughout the season, members of the UNC rowing team will provide TarHeelBlue.com readers with an inside look at the Carolina program and the experience of being a varsity athlete at UNC. This installment, the 12th of the 2006-07 school year, is by Adriann Spinks, a senior from Francisco, N.C.

It is my last semester at the University of North Carolina. With all the good and bad that come with that, the one thing that comes most jarringly to mind is the fact that this is my last semester to compete for and represent Carolina Rowing. I am not sure I can wholly sum up what that means and feels like right now or for that matter if this is even the right forum for that. Our Rowing Along articles are merely meant to be weekly updates on the team and I have got to save something for our end of the year banquet!

With that in mind, we will just focus on the idea of competition. At its most basic level, competition is an organizing principle of activity. It sets a purpose and makes way for goals. Though competition usually brings about thoughts of opposition and fighting against others, the word itself - competition - is rooted in a Greek word meaning "to strive together". I love the idea of that. Rowing is like nothing I have ever done before. No where else have I been met with a physical and mental challenge comparable to moving in absolute unison with seven other girls, to fiercely propel a 60-foot boat over a 2000-meter stretch of water. It is madness really. But it is how we as rowers compete, we strive together.

Even in practice these past few weeks, the varsity and novice squads have been coming together for certain workouts: land conditioning, stadiums, erg relay races, triathlons. It is great to see the energy the novice bring to practice and hear the exchange of encouragement between the two squads as we strive together through a tough workout. This past week we kicked off a Tour of Europe in which we are charting, meter for meter, the work we put in on the erg to a hypothetical journey along the rivers of Europe. We started in Portugal on the Tagus River and quickly moved through Spain, and France by way of the Seine River, up to the English Channel. As we swiftly move through Europe we joke about having to expand our trip through Asia just to account for all the meters we are logging. Luckily this Thursday marks the end of our imaginary trip through Europe and winter erging extravaganza as we will make the run through Carrboro to University Lake for our first day back on the water. The February air will be cold and the lake water will be crisp but being on the water is going to be amazing.

Maybe this is where the senior in me comes out, to appreciate my last semester, making note of the little details, and taking in every last experience. Every day we are striving together in an experience like nothing else. And we are taking nothing for granted: not our speed, the support of our coaches and trainers, or the ability and honor to compete for and represent Carolina Rowing. GO HEELS!