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I've decided that it must be my destiny to become an Olympic Lightweight rower. Born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma, just minutes from Oklahoma city where most of my Dad's family was settled, I gradually made my way westward. Enrolling at the University of Puget Sound for little more than a pretty brochure and a healthy financial aid package, it was there I learned to row, near the Mecca of rowing in the Western United States. In the Northwest, I learned to row and became a member of a deep and strong community spread between Central Oregon and Northern Washington on the I-5 corridor. Within this community, I would have access to some of the bet coaching in North America, find inspiration in hard-working teammates, and be able to draw strength and help form a number of friends in Seattle.
Now I find myself making plans to return to Oklahoma, where I will live with family and make an attempt to find a boat on the 2011 US or Pan Am teams. It seems that if things go well this Summer, I will be able to split my time and resources between Seattle and Oklahoma City going forward. An interesting prospect given my thoughts since moving to the Northwest that I would never return to Oklahoma again...
