With her first practice of the day completed, Kayla Lucier, 18, sits down in Starbucks with homework and a caramel frappucino. “It’s not decaf. I need the caffeine to perk myself up.”
“Good practice today,” she says “Only one more.”
Lucier is a UT Lady Vol rower. A Canadian from Hamilton, Ontario, she came to Tennessee because of the opportunities UT has to offer. “I really loved the rowing program here, I’m able to experience different things being so far from home. It really makes me independent.” She also likes UT because, being a pre-med major, she wanted to be close to the hospitals and have the chance to work in the medical field that was closer to where she went to school.
The biggest difference, Kayla says, between Canada and Tennessee is “transportation!” At home if Kayla wanted to get around, she would either take the bus or a taxi. Here, she says, everyone just drives everywhere or goes with their friends.
Her family originally was uncomfortable with her moving so far from home. They were worried that living in Tennessee would be expensive but Kayla was adamant she would be successful here and the rest is history.
Lucier started her rowing career in 9th grade because she didn’t make the soccer, softball or basketball teams that she tried out for. She made the decision to row in college during her junior year of high school, but she never thought it would bring her to a Division 1 school until she got an email from the UT rowing coach Lisa Glenn. “I went to an indoor competition, where you just do a race piece on the rowing machine, and I did well there. My coach said the Tennessee coach was interested in me, and then I got an email asking me to come visit. Everything just started from there.” One of the big draws that kept Kayla coming back to rowing as her sport was the feeling of empowerment that she got and the positive body image that came along with that confidence.
“When you first put your blade in the water, and feel the pressure build in your fingertips and feel the pull in your legs as they are about to fire off and then your back gets tight as you start to pull against the water, that feeling you get in your gut where you know that you have to take what the water has just given you with that stroke and make the boat move fast. That’s the best feeling on the water.”
Kayla keeps rowing for that feeling. The pain doesn’t bother her; it pushes her to do more on race day. “Right before the end of a race you feel your lungs about to collapse, your muscles tearing and the skin on your hands ripping off. All you care about is crossing the line first, and when you do, it makes all the work you put in worth it.”
Kayla is usually found in the middle of a boat, called the powerhouse four or the engine room. In that position she has to follow the people in front of her but also be the strength that moves the boat. The middle four aren’t always the best technically but they bring the most power.
Jen Bailey, 20, a teammate, says Kayla is “very feisty and you can trust her to always have your back during a race or a hard workout.”
Lucier is never hard to find. She keeps a tight schedule because of team workouts and lives life in a hurry. She gets up around 6 a.m. for morning practice, followed by classes, another practice at either 1 or 2 p.m. until about 4, and then she does homework until bedtime. When at practice Lucier tries to maintain a good outlook even when things don’t go well.
“I think it’s important to have a good attitude, I know the right time to be serious and the right time to be funny so I try to be more relaxed and just go with what needs to happen for the team to be successful.”
Lucier’s life can be so scheduled that the time for hobbies is low. “ I don’t know what free time is,” she says. But when she does have it Kayla says she likes to leave Knoxville and travel with her teammates. “So far we have been to Nashville and Florida.”
Lucier is surrounded by positives as a member of a UT athletic team. She learns important life skills that prepare her for the life outside of school and rowing. “Rowing is all about working together and putting your differences aside to accomplish something. It really prepares you for the outside world.”
There is one negative. “I don’t get to really experience college the way that I always expected. Everyone talks about going out and sleeping in and all the fun things they did over the weekend. Being an athlete doesn’t give you the normal college opportunities.”
The best lesson rowing has taught Kayla is that it’s important to have things in your life that are just for you. “When I was in high school we had two-a-day practices six to seven times a week so I learned the importance of time management. I would plan my life, but that leaves no room for spontaneity. So now I handle my first two priorities of school and rowing then I try to make time for myself doing things I just want to do.” Kayla works to fit in her 17 hours of class, 20 hours of practices and still have time for herself.
What being an athlete at UT gives her is the opportunity to travel and meet diverse people. One of the best things about being an athlete at UT is all the traveling, she says.
“I get to travel to places like California and Boston and not many people get to do that. I am meeting athletes from other sports who are from all over the world and that’s pretty cool too.”
Looking down at her watch Lucier notices the time. “Well, time for another class, this was fun,” she says on her way out of the coffee shop door, hurrying to finish her next scheduled task of the day.