Meet Erin Vanek, a senior from Ohio studying International Relations and President of Women’s Rowing at AU!
Her Campus American University: Tell us a bit about yourself!
Erin Vanek: I’m in my senior year, studying international relations with a focus in global security and the Middle East. I grew up in Mentor, Ohio, which is right outside of Cleveland. I ran cross country and track in high school and absolutely loved it, and I still run on the trails around campus. Other hobbies of mine include reading, writing, and getting far too invested in fictional worlds.
HCAU: How did you become involved with rowing at AU?
EV: One of my friends freshman year asked (as a joke) if anyone would want to attend 4 am practice with her, since she’d rowed in high school and was thinking about joining the team. To her surprise, I said yes and I attended the learn-to-row session that weekend with her. I didn’t end up joining that semester, but the following spring I started going to practices and never looked back. What drew me to the team was how welcoming and friendly everyone was, and the sport itself is amazing. It’s really tough – it’s a full-body sport, which surprises a lot of people – and you have to really push yourself physically and mentally in order to excel. But I’ve always liked a challenge, and I’m a bit of a masochist anyway.
HCAU: What made you want to take on the responsibility of being President?
EV: I’ve been involved with the executive board since my first semester on the team, when I took over the job of transportation officer. My sophomore year, my best friend on the team (who was a senior) asked if I wanted to be her co-president so that she could train me to take over. And I’ve sort of been at it ever since. I suppose I was drawn to it because I’ve always enjoyed being able to help out, and with the crew team, there’s a lot to be done. Being president is kind of a part-time job, but even though it can be really stressful, in some ways it’s worth it – my experience and knowledge of what needs to be done allows the team to run as smoothly as possible, and that’s really fulfilling. Really, it comes down to how much I love this team – I really want us to succeed, even when I’m gone, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
HCAU: Are you involved in any other activities or teams on campus?
EV: I just joined the track & cross country team, which is a new club on campus. They’re a great group – since they’re brand-new, they have to do a ton of work to establish a presence on campus and in club sports, but they’re really motivated and they’re doing an absolutely fantastic job of it.
HCAU: What’s your favorite memory of your time with rowing at AU?
EV: That’s a hard question to answer. I’ve had so many great experiences with this team that it’s hard to pick just one. I don’t think it can be narrowed down to anything specific, so I’ll give some everyday moments: watching the sun come up over the Anacostia, the sense of camaraderie that comes from waking up insanely early and pushing each other through a difficult workout, hanging out with people that have become family. And nothing can quite beat the feel of a perfect row: the sound of the oars turning all in sync, the balance of the boat, moving exactly in time with your teammates, and feeling like you’re flying over the water.
HCAU: How can people join the team?
EV: It’s really easy! We accept all levels of experience – in fact, most of our team had never rowed before college, myself included. We’ll be holding info sessions soon, but the easiest way would be to contact us at americancrew@gmail.com, and we’ll get you started.
HCAU: Any other thoughts you’d like to share about your team?
EV: The crew team faces a lot of challenges. Rowing is an extremely expensive sport, so we really have to raise a lot of money to keep ourselves afloat, as we’re not very well-funded by the university. The administration has also closed down our access to some of the equipment and space that we need to cross-train, which is extremely important in a sport that’s as physically demanding as rowing is.
However, even though there are some obstacles in our way, we’re still going strong. Our coaching staff is phenomenal, and our team looks fantastic this year – I definitely think we’re looking at a winning season this spring. We’re about to start our recruitment drive, so we’ll be bringing some new faces to practice in the next few weeks. If anyone is interested in joining, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
I’ve met some of my best friends in the world because of rowing. As I said before, it really is like becoming part of a family. And even though it’s really tough sometimes, the team makes everything worth it.
Photo Credit: Erin Vanek