Thanks Henley, On to the Next One

Congratulations to the USA W8+ and USA ‘B’ W4X on their wins at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta! Big racing and great performances from the USA women’s group this weekend, and I am going to go out on a limb and say that the ladies had a little bit of fun in Henley as well.
We were pretty disappointed in the ‘A’ quad with our semifinal race against Australia ‘B’. We pushed hard down the course with the other boat overstroking us by 1-2 beats the whole way, but we were never able to regain control of the race. It is a difficult situation to be simultaneously so disappointed while wanting to be happy for your teammates. But it’s also something that most elite athletes have to deal with at some point.
The good news is that we have some information to take away with us as we head toward Lucerne for World Cup III next weekend. And whatever happens, we can be faster as a crew and a Team when we get there.

I was lucky enough to get to spend a lot of time with my Mom and with some of my friends during my down time at Henley this year, including my best friend from UW, Olivia, and a few other of my ’06 classmates: Kiel Petersen and Ante Kusurin. And of course, I had to take an opportunity to take a photo with my 2005 ‘oarsome foursome’ from U23s (Cafaro, Starr, Kalmoe, Carle).
I’ll probably never know what it’s like to have the complete Henley experience, with both a trophy win as well as the sublime social reunions and new friends that come along with this regatta. Even so, it’s not a bad place to spend some time, and I’m grateful for this year’s experience.

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Now: on to Lucerne. Racing begins Friday.

Long Live the Dream,

–MK