This week, Her Campus had the opportunity to sit down with Nathan Koo, a freshman on the Varsity Men’s Rowing Team here at the University of Michigan. Nathan is a coxswain for the Rowing Team and is currently studying actuarial mathematics.
Her Campus: Rumor has it, the team went down to Florida for spring break training. How was that?
Nathan Koo: Yeah, for Spring Break we went down to Tallahassee. We trained differently than we do here, so for a first-year like me, it was exciting. Even though it was entirely exhausting, it paid off. We ended the week with a Michigan Henley, which is an interteam competition where we made our own lineups with set teams. This was great because it brought out the competition in us, while we were still intensely training.
HC: It’s impressive that you are a freshman on the Varsity squad. Can you explain what being a coxswain entails?
NK: A swain is the person in front of the boat that makes calls and steers. We make sure everyone knows what’s going on and are pretty much the eyes of the boat. To be a swain, you have to be confident because you to speak loudly and stick with the (hopefully correct) calls you make.
HC: What’s your favorite part of being on the team?
NK: My favorite part is the friends I’ve made, even though it sounds cliché. It’s a true team sport, as you can’t row fast if you’re all angry at each other or afraid of one another. Rowing helps builds bonds that makes boats go faster and makes college very enjoyable
HC: How are you all so ripped? Just wondering.
NK: It’s the practice six days a week, sometimes twice a day.
HC: How is it being on a Varsity level team without a D1 classification?
NK: This is an interesting question and I’m not sure if I could give you the right answer, though I’m sure the seniors could. For me, it’s all right. Even though we don’t get the recognition, that’s okay, we’re working on it. We know we’re good at what we do and know we have a name on this campus (as you know very well). This being said, it can be frustrating sometimes that the University isn’t entirely behind our backs like they are for other sports, which can hurt when it comes to scheduling classes and fundraising. Either way, we’re a proud program and will stand for what we love, which is rowing.
HC: That’s heartwarming! So, you are aware of your reputation then?
NK: Oh yes, definitely.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Koo