Emily Stewart is on the Women’s Rowing team and is a sophomore at Nova Southeastern University. She is majoring in exercise science and double minoring in business and physical education. Stewart is also from Niagara Falls, Canada and was able to row at the Head of the Charles in Boston this year.
What drove you to row during college?
“I really fell in love with rowing in high school. The thought of coming to the states and competing in the NCAA division was really cool to me. I had really good coaches throughout high school that really drove me to love the sport. Basically I had really influential coaches that really made me find my passion for the sport and I wanted to continue that from highschool at the NCAA level.”
What inspired you to row?
“The concept of the sport is really cool. Everyday you want to push your limits, and to me that is a really cool idea. My parents signed me up for rowing and ever since I found a passion for it”
Is there another athlete you look up to that rows as well?
“There’s a few. Being from Canada, Carling Zeeman, the single sculler, she’s very well known. I was lucky enough to have her first coach be my coach. That was two summers ago, so I think that was really cool to have someone who knew her personally…Gevvie Stone. She’s an American single sculler, and she is also really well known, she’s going to medical school currently and still competing at the top of her game. That’s pretty awesome to see people do both.”
How do you mentally or physically prepare before races?
“Mentally, it’s important to trust your training and know that you’ve done everything physically to prepare for it. And just trust that when things get hard that you’ve trained your body and it can handle it. I try to just focus on what the task is at hand. So like if it’s a 2000 meter race, I know that with 2000 meters I have to stay with the boat and do my best.”
What has been your favorite moment of the season so far?
“So far, traveling to Boston with a few teammates and knowing that the whole team supported us through that was a really good feeling. The season just started so there’s a lot to look forward to still but I really do enjoy traveling with the team.”
What are some of your goals as an athlete?
“I obviously have set goals for myself personally but my goal is to get this team to be the best we can and hopefully make it back to the NCAA championships at the end of the season. I want us to be all on the same page and work as hard as we can and give our best.”
Are there other activities that you are involved in besides rowing?
“I am the athletics senator for student government. So I’m a member of the student athlete advisory committee and the undergraduate student government; and I’m a member of the exercise science organization and then rowing.”
What has rowing taught you?
“I think rowing has taught me a lot. It’s helped me find who I am as a person. It’s taught me the importance of team work, of trusting other people. I think that coaches have taught me a lot and I’m forever grateful for the lessons I’ve learned because I’ve come a long way since I started rowing.”
