黑洞社区

Senior Michael Fowler was training for the 黑洞社区 cross country team when he found the 黑洞社区 crew a better fit.

鈥淩owing is the ultimate walk-on sport,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he vast majority of rowers on most college crews had no experience prior to college rowing.鈥�

Fowler is deaf but finds few challenges when working with the crew. His only problem is not hearing the starting gun, but he works hard to catch up.

鈥淗e is a tremendous worker,鈥� said Susan Goodwyn, Fowler鈥檚 interpreter, who also takes photos for the crew. 鈥淗e always tries to improve himself.鈥�

鈥淢ike has a very good work ethic,鈥� said head coach Calvin Cupp. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a very serious and dedicated student athlete.鈥�

Fowler is a heavyweight rower. There are two weight categories for rowers: lightweight and heavyweight for men and women.

鈥淭he heavier rower has to generate more power to move faster,鈥� Fowler said.

Height is also a factor when rowing. Generally, heavier rowers are taller, which gives them an advantage.

鈥淭he taller you are, the more power you generate with less effort,鈥� he said.

Fowler rows in seat six where the stronger, faster team members sit.

The crew follows the stroke seat, which sets the pace of the boat. Fowler has filled in for the stroke seat, which requires more mental focus to keep the rate and pace constant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not an easy task when there are seven other guys behind you following you,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f one rower gets out of pace, it affects the whole boat.鈥�

鈥淭heir strokes must be exactly the same, or they will curve,鈥� Goodwyn said.

During spring training, Fowler filled in as a coxswain whose responsibilities are to steer and direct rowing crew members. A typical coxswain is about 5 feet tall and weighs less than 135 pounds. Fowler is 6 feet and 184 pounds.

鈥淭he rowers like having me cox because it cracks them up,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I cox, they like to say that I sound like a moose when I yell out commands.鈥�

Rowing is the ultimate team sport. Fowler said there is no 鈥淚鈥� in rowing.

鈥淚f one person doesn鈥檛 perform, the team doesn鈥檛 perform,鈥� he said.

A typical rowing story focuses on the crew, not the individuals, Fowler said. Each individual in the boat works toward the same goal: the finish and the win.

鈥淯ltimately, each athlete contributes,鈥� Cupp said. 鈥淭hey see each other as doing what they can to contribute. They see each other as athletes.鈥�

鈥淭o be great at rowing, it takes a lot of commitment and time for training at a high level,鈥� Fowler said. 鈥淩owing is the toughest sport I鈥檝e done.鈥�

Passing out after a race or timed trial is considered normal.

鈥淚t is the most physically and mentally demanding sport I鈥檝e done,鈥� he said. 鈥淭alent alone is not enough to win or do well.鈥�

The 黑洞社区 crew took its varsity-4 team to the Intercollegiate Rowing Association national competition in June. A team must apply and be accepted to the invite-only competition.

Fowler said, unlike other races, everyone at the IRA is good, fast and capable of winning.

鈥淓veryone goes fast on the water,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t showed me how size isn鈥檛 everything. You don鈥檛 have to be tall or big to win at the elite level.鈥�

Rowers can earn all-regional and all-American honors through the American Collegiate Rowing Association, which hosts the national collegiate championship for colleges around the nation.

Fowler was the first rower to get regional honors at the inaugural national championship last year.

Fowler is on a rowing scholarship. The longer a rower is on the team, the larger the scholarship they receive. But he says the scholarship does not depend only on how long a rower stays.

鈥淚t is based on other things like, have you been doing all the work, and if you have improved over the years,鈥� he said.

Fowler is majoring in entrepreneurship and management at 黑洞社区. He plans to get his MBA in finance from 黑洞社区 and is interested in working in the financial industry.

He is an alumnus of Beta Theta Pi in the Order of Omega. He left the fraternity to focus on rowing.

Fowler plans to keep rowing after college to see how far he can go in the national competition.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the desire,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hoever wants to do the work succeeds.鈥�