Amanda Craig first joined rowing because it took her from indoor air-conditioned courts to the beautiful outdoor nature.
“I played basketball and volleyball, and being outdoors in nature was something different than I was used to,” said Craig.
Originally from Berlin, New Jersey, Craig followed her sister’s footsteps and decided to row in high school.
“I liked it more than any other sport I’ve done. Nothing really sparked my passion before that, and I fell in love with rowing right away,” said Craig.
Craig attended Eastern Regional High School and rowed for the South Jersey Rowing Club. She was named Most Valuable Rower and held the highest 2k score on the team.
Coming to NSU, in 2011, Craig initially majored in marine biology and switched to environmental sciences, minoring in sociology.
As a freshman, Craig was named CRCA Second-Team All-America and was part of the Sharks’ varsity eight “A” that won the FIRA Fall Classic and the novice eight that finished third. She opened the spring season with a second-place finish. She won the varsity-four race at the SIRA Championships and helped NSU capture its fifth SSC Championship, and also won the gold medal in the varsity-four event at the Dad Vail Regatta.
As a sophomore, she was a member of the varsity-eight boat that won the NCAA Division II National Championship, finishing with a time of 6:42.75.
As a junior, she rowed in the varsity-eight boat that won second in the NCAA Championships, and she competed in the boat that won the Henry Backe Trophy in the Dad Vail Regatta and won the SSC Championship.
In addition to her important role on the Sharks’ rowing team, Craig is the president of the student chapter for the National Association of Environmental Professionals (SCNAEP), and the vice president of Green Sharks.
“The Green Sharks group is something that I hope to leave as a legacy to make the campus more sustainable in the future,” said Craig.
I got the chance to sit down with Craig and ask a few questions to get to know her better.
How did you to decide to row in college?
“I was realizing that I was getting stronger on the erg and on the water, so I decided that I could do well in college. My sister rowed for her college, and she said that I could probably get a scholarship. So, I worked really hard to get my time down and network with coaches to create this opportunity for myself.”
How was the transition when you moved to Florida for school?
“It was different. At first, I was just ecstatic about the weather, which is much better than New Jersey’s. It’s also a nice location for having family visit, whereas my brother, who goes to school in Pittsburg, doesn’t get as many visitors, at least in the winter time. It was hard getting down here, but being on the rowing team made it easier because I made friends quickly.”
Do you plan on going back home after college?
“Yes, for a little bit, but I really don’t plan on staying there. I want to leave the country and study abroad for a while and gain experience.”
What are your career goals?
“I want to work with endangered species, conservation and sustainability to help third world countries and reach out and give them education so that they become more efficient and better with the environment. I just got back from Ecuador; I did a field course study there. It was an eye-opening experience because I did interviews with people about the environmental education they receive and the endangered species there, and they all expressed concern because they don’t know what to do.”
Do you have any special rituals that you do before getting on the boat?
“I get hyper, and I try to keep a light mood and crack some jokes. If I’m not joking around and laughing, then anxiety takes over. Practice isn’t that stressful, so I just listen to music as I warm up and just talk as a team, and that kind of brings us all together.”
Will you continue to row after college?
“Yes, I would love to. There’s a boat house not far from where I live where I can take out small boats and row, probably not for competition, but just for fun.”
What don’t you like about rowing?
“I don’t enjoy the anxiety you get before rowing. It’s all mental; you have to really be able to control what you’re thinking because as soon as negative thoughts come in, you start going downhill. I think it’s hard for everyone on the team.”
How did rowing change your life?
“It changed a lot honestly. I probably wouldn’t have come to Florida for college if I weren’t into rowing. It opened doors of opportunity for me. It made me more confident in myself. I learned this through the struggle of practicing really hard and not seeing results every day, but in the end, it’s very rewarding.”
What has been your most memorable moment rowing?
“It was winning the national championship. We were the underdog; it was hard because Barry was beating us, and it was a crazy feeling, but we ended up winning.”
Have you had a coach who influenced you?
“I’ve had so many different coaches. They’ve been different every year. No one coach really changed anything more than the other, but they all pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me not to let any number dictate who I am as a rower. They all made the team pretty confident.”
If you could play another sport at NSU, what would it be?
“I would say swimming; I’m not a fast swimmer though. I would like to swim, but it won’t be competitively.”
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
“I would go to New Zealand. I really want to go there because it has some of the most diverse environments. The biodiversity is amazing, and it’s just so far away. If I do travel there, I would want to stay there for a year and see the different types of landscapes and maybe conduct an endangered species research study.”
How do you celebrate winning?
“We’ll play music and dance as a team, not in front of other teams because it’s not good sportsmanship. And most of the time, there’s a feast involved. Frozen yogurt has always been in the agenda.”
How do you deal with losing?
“We see what we can fix, and we go back to working hard. It just makes us hungrier to get better. It depends on the situation, but I feel like everyone has to step up to improve themselves and figure out what went wrong because no one likes to lose.”
What do you feel motivates you the most?
“The fact that I don’t want to let the team down because my performance has an effect on the team as a whole, not just on me. I have to do my best every day.”
What’s your favorite food?
“Eggs. My whole team knows that I can eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
What’s your favorite movie?
“‘Step Brothers’ will always be a favorite of mine.”
What other hobbies do you have?
“I’m really interested in art because I took a lot of art classes. I was planning to minor in art, but it was too hectic with all the other classes I’m already taking. I also have an interest in adventuring and going to places in the Everglades and beaches and just discovering different areas. I like to explore South Florida on the weekends.”
Photo Credit: COURTESY OF E. CANAL
