Navigating Urban Rivers: Making Connections Through Rowing

By Zoe Obenza-Bridges, senior at Pittsburgh Allderdice

I OFTEN FIND THE SPORT OF ROWING BRINGS discomfort more times than pleasure, but the satisfaction of the movement of the boat through the water creates a struggle between pain and pleasure worth experiencing. The very moment a stroke is taken, arguably something unique takes place. Each oar is buried in the water, eyes are gazing forward, legs are pushing away from the foot plates, and the long shell of the boat is set into motion.

As a novice, getting involved in the sport during my junior year of high school was nothing less than intimidating. Hearing words like bow, stern, port, and starboard made it feel like a foreign language, one that my teammates spoke fluently. Aside from the terminology, the ways that rowing could take place on the water seemed limitless. Boats range in size (or number of rowers) from singles to eights and from using one oar to two. Because of this variety, existence on the river as a rower is ever-changing.

Being a part of Pittsburgh’s only inner-city public school with a rowing team adds something special to the physical nature of the sport. With just under thirty rowers, our team is relatively small within the world of high-school rowing. Although some may see smaller teams as less advantageous in terms of results, the intimate aspect of our team creates a special environment. Coaches Emma Schauf, Gabe Espinoza, and Mabel Barlett have the means to work in depth with each rower in terms of physical and mental skills. Rowing, by nature, is a competitive sport, and with this, the culture surrounding it can create tension in the minds of athletes. However, during my time rowing with Allderdice, our coaches have always prioritized the athletes’ mental wellbeing and general love for the sport. There’s a significant emphasis on personal enjoyment, and that sentiment has had a big influence on my appreciation for crew.

The moment I arrived at the boat house for the first time, I observed a great energy and passion for simply moving on the water. This perspective on rowing carried over during practices but also within the midst of racing season. I always found comfort in the fact that as long as my teammates and I were enjoying ourselves on the water, and trying our best, results weren’t a big deal. While medals are always celebrated and strived for, simply racing is too, no matter the outcome. Our coaches have built a community based on good sportsmanship, character, and personal growth. The accepting culture of our team makes being a part of the rowing community worthwhile.

Becoming a rower has allowed me to create a new relationship with myself and with the Allegheny River. With each moment on the water, I was learning how to row and simultaneously was learning more about myself. I quickly became captivated by the sport because of the lessons it taught me. As a bowperson—the rower closest to the bow—I needed to become comfortable navigating the expanse of the Allegheny, avoiding other boats on the water, and calling commands, all while developing basic techniques. As overwhelming as it was to learn all this, it was also rewarding to acquire the situational skills it takes to move along the river efficiently and safely. These skills are vital during the racing season, which takes place in the spring and fall. After bowing my first race on a course I had only rowed once, I felt as if there wasn’t anything I couldn’t learn how to do. Overcoming the anxiety that comes with navigating a new river is empowering.

Aside from navigational skills, having a strong mentality is equally important as a rower. Whether it’s on water or while erging (practicing indoors on a rowing machine), rowers tend to have a high capacity for discomfort. During my first winter season on the erg, former coach AJ Smith said before practice, “It’s about becoming comfortable with discomfort.” AJ often had many motivational lines at the ready, but this is one that stuck with me. If anything, rowing has taught me that our capacities for pain can be trained and shifted. You can decide how much you’re capable of accomplishing. Becoming comfortable with discomfort is a skill that has unlimited value not only within the realm of rowing, but also within the movements of daily life.

From spending hours upon hours moving along the Allegheny River, I also developed a strong sense of admiration for the natural beauty that the river offers. Rowing provides a unique perspective, one that cannot be achieved by driving past the river, seeing it flow as you cross a bridge, or even standing next to it. There’s something incredibly special about being in such close proximity to the water, surrounded by the slopes of trees, with an expansive sky above. Small details of the river’s curves and edges become ingrained into memory, acting as landmarks during each row. The banks of trees and tall grasses that line the shores become almost like street signs, telling you when and how to shift the direction of the boat to create the most efficient path. It’s difficult not to feel small when you’re met with a wall of greenness against the expansive backdrop of the water.

While rowing offers a connection with nature, it also provides ways to co-exist with the river’s inhabitants. Parts of the Allegheny act as a sanctuary for wildlife. With each row, we often pass by blue herons, standing patiently along the grassy banks, and see the occasional bald eagle soar overhead. We watch goslings grow in the spring, their delicate, fluffy feathers expanding into shiny ones. Watching life move and change along the Allegheny River is nothing short of awe-inspiring, despite the occasional goose poop that lines the dock.

Rowing with Allderdice gives students the opportunity to explore what they are capable of, not only within the realm of sports, but in terms of mental fitness as well. The ability to connect to the river and to a community that fosters personal growth has proved incomparable. Pittsburgh provides numerous ways to traverse the city, but moving by river is by far the finest.