I, like my fellow teammates, heard rumors floating around that universities and colleges across the nation were having an extended spring break and some were going remote for the remainder of the semester due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). At first, this seemed far away, untouchable – one of those things that always happened "to someone else" … until we too became that "someone else."

After months of grueling workouts that left our hands coated with blisters and callouses, and evident muscles that demonstrated hard work, we were ready to get out of the erg room and be on the water in sunny Florida. 

As the situation gained more attention in the news, Nick Hughes, our head coach, sensed our growing wonder as to what was going to happen. He treated this like he treated any adverse situation we had encountered; he asked us to be mindful and carry on with the present moment. Having an unfavorable condition is not a foreign concept to our squad. As a student-athlete in a climate-dependent sport (due to the wind and current) and practicing on an unpredictable seaway, water time is precious.

We took each day of that last week truly day by day. We stayed mindful, in the moment, went to practice, and stuck to the schedule because this was the one thing that remained constant during a time of upheaval. The night we got the email announcing the change, the seniors gathered and came up with a fleeting plan that would help hold everyone accountable and maintain fitness during our time apart. President Fox's email stated that he hoped that students would be able to return to campus on April 13, and we decided to continue training while we looked forward to that day. 

Then the NCAA decided to cancel competitions and St. Lawrence decided to transition into remote learning for the remainder of the semester. April 13 would no longer be the day we would reconvene in person. These were huge changes for everyone. As an athlete, it was gutting to hear that all your hard work would not be showcased. While there is validity in that feeling, being a college athlete and more specifically, being on the women's rowing team, it became evident that our identities are not defined by our competitions, but rather the work that we do behind the scenes.

Rowing is a physically and mentally demanding sport. Our alarms sound at ungodly hours of the morning, which deters some from the sport. But for others it's a reminder that we're part of something extraordinary. My rowing teammates are probably the grittiest women I'll meet in my life.

The sport is addicting because it teases out the rawest sense of self. It parallels everyday situations where we, as humans, find it natural to want to be better and chase opportunity and endless growth. On an erg you can literally see yourself getting faster and in a boat you can feel the hull of the boat lifting underneath you as you and the other women in your boat slice through the water in harmony.

This feeling isn't always easy and it certainly doesn't come naturally. It can frustrate you and can exhaust you but it teaches you that exhaustion must be met with an opportunistic lens to seek out productivity. The efficiency that comes from exhaustion is unmatched and is a learned lesson applicable to everyday situations like the one we currently face now.
 
Exhaustion now has hit us all in an unorthodox way. However, the new "normal" should not and has not made our team jaded. If anything, it's done the opposite. As formidable women, we have utilized our resources and the wonders of technology to keep in touch and hold one another accountable in a plethora of ways as we would if we were together in Canton. We have a private Facebook group where we post our workouts, workout ideas, meal plans and recipes, and update each other constantly with our everyday activities. It's not a façade to mask how great our new "now" is; rather it's a way to express real and honest feelings.

It's not always easy to get out of bed and find a way to stay active, but it's imperative that we do. When someone opens up and is vulnerable about their feelings, the support is unsurpassed. We celebrate the successes whether they be big or small. It matters that we recognize the work done because at the end of the day, that person got out of bed, did something great and continues to contribute to the project at hand. It's similar to how we compete in the erg room or on the St. Lawrence River. Even though we're not physically together now, we still cheer on personal bests and accept struggles as a way to reconsider how we'll approach things next time. More than ever, this is a phenomenal time to work smarter, stay adamant about progress, and not a time to settle or reject growth.

While using Zoom might not be the preferred method for class nor Facebook the same as being physically right next to our teammates cheering them on and hearing the tone in their voice, we must not look at these as modes of replacement but rather fashions of making do. There is no one to blame; the virus wasn't anything that we were expecting but like anything else, this too shall pass. As seniors in the classroom, it's our job to work with our teachers rather than fight the change. As seniors on the team, it's our privilege to finish the year and guide the younger teammates until the end despite being remote and our rowing careers being finished. 

Our coach is also a philosophy teacher, which is probably why I've discovered so many parallels in rowing and life outside the sport. Two of the biggest lessons I've learned from him, lessons that I'll carry with me long after I graduate, are about contribution and goals: First, we must take care of ourselves in order to then contribute positively to a team. Second, we ought to always have a goal. Once you have a goal, you're always chasing it so you'll never settle nor let those around you settle. If you're reaching that goal each time, find another more audacious goal.

While the seniors on the St. Lawrence women's rowing team might never compete in a boat again, this will not be the last adverse condition we face in the whirlwind of life. Despite not being on campus, on the water, or in the erg room, we'll always have our morals. We'll always have the inside jokes and the lessons we've learned from our coaches.

I can say with the utmost confidence that while we are all socially distancing ourselves, none of the members of the team are settling. On April 4th we would have had our first race on the water. Instead of having a rowing race, Lilly Bianchi '20 proposed the idea of having our own competition; we will all either be biking a half marathon, running a 5k or running a 10k and sharing our times so that we can work hard to crush that time the next time. As seniors, we too will continue to train with the rest of the women to ensure that they come back stronger than ever in the fall because if we didn't, it would leave an empty legacy and be a disservice to the future of our squad.

Eleanor Napoli '20 is a senior on the women's rowing team. This piece is part of a series of stories by student-athletes about how St. Lawrence student-athletes saw their academic and athletic plans change rapidly as the spread of COVID-19 across the nation caused St. Lawrence to make the transition to remote learning instruction after spring break. If you are a St. Lawrence student-athlete interested in participating in this project, please contact Aaron Todd at atodd@stlawu.edu.