Rower Connection: Bridget Logan

How did you find the sport of rowing? Or did it find you?
Rowing definitely found me. My freshman year of college I didn’t want to get over-involved in extracurricular activities (I’m really good at that) so I could focus on my studies, but somehow I found myself at 5:30 am practices, running up the seats and down the stairs at the football stadium, sprinting up Horse Barn hill road and trying out this new sport I knew nothing about. After the first week of practice my legs were so tired I could barely walk up to my room on the 4th floor (no elevators) of my dorm and I loved it! Then we went out on the water and I was hooked.

What do you enjoy most about the sport? What do you enjoy most about FVRA? What keeps you coming back for more?
Being on the water in a boat is one of my happy places. There is beauty in every season, every weather condition and every time of day. I love the feeling of gliding across the water, working together with other people who also love gliding across the water, the sounds of the oars, the water, the wildlife, all of it. I love being in a boat where everyone is working hard to be a better version of themselves which motivates me to do the same.

I am so grateful to have found FVRA. The club is a great combination of laid back and non-judgmental along with everyone trying to row their best. Everyone is encouraging and positive and there is a lot of flexibility in how much or how little you want (or are able) to participate.
What keeps me coming back? All of the above. I enjoy the people in the club and even when we are not able to be on the water it is still fun to connect online or at the camp for workouts and sending fun messages.

Do you have any rowing-related goals for the 2023 season? What are they?
My goal for rowing this year is to be able to race in a scull… 2 or 4 person, let’s go!! I also would like to be skilled enough in sculling to be able to row in a single racing scull with only a small to no risk of dumping myself in the water.

Are you facing any challenges in the sport, and how are you overcoming them?
The biggest challenge for me is all in my head… what? Yes, I am a person that tends to get in my head too much and am my own worst critic, along with letting anxiety get the best of my thoughts. This is part of why I have to row… the more I prove to myself the strength I have, the less I can doubt myself. Nothing is better than being crazy tired or in some way uncomfortable (cold, wet, or in pain) and not being able to stop because you are in the middle of a race or even in the middle of rowing practice. There is no “quit” option, you just keep going. I really think that when you practice it on the water it carries over into life too – making your desire to quit not as strong as your desire to keep going and achieve.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to start rowing?
Rowing rocks! If you like being outside and spending time with like minded people while getting some good exercise then this is the thing for you. There are so many options, from recreational rowing to racing and you will learn so much about yourself, get your body moving and most likely spot a bird or two 🙂