Jan. 18, 2008

I can still remember the first journal I wrote as a novice during my first year of college. In that journal I talked about how amazed I was at the transformation I had made from a semi-lazy high school athlete into a Division I rower, waking up before sunrise on a very regular basis. Three years later I find myself in awe at the fact that I have stuck with it for the duration of my college career, and that this is in fact my last season. There is something very special about the girls I have met on this team and the sport of rowing itself that has changed me for the better and solidified my four-year participation. I cannot even imagine what the past three years would have been like had I never given rowing a shot.

I finally came to the realization that this truly is my last season during a senior meeting on our Georgia training trip, when coach pointed it out, telling us that we should savor every moment. Since that meeting I have really tried to enjoy every minute I get to spend with the team since it will be over far too soon. The past three years have absolutely flown by, and I want to make sure that I enjoy my last season to its fullest. Our schedule for this spring is the most challenging to date, but I believe that my teammates and I are up for the challenge and will again succeed in doing things that the Bucknell Women's Rowing program has never done before. I'm looking forward to the upcoming months and believe that this season, my last, will definitely be my best and most memorable.

- Sophie Bird '08