A conversation with Katherine Robinson '09 on U23 World Rowing Championships

All-American Katherine Robinson ’09 and her quad boat from GMS Racing Center (CT) has qualified for the U23 Rowing World Championships in Racice, Czech Republic by winning the U.S. Trails this past week. They will first compete against the world on July 23 at either 4:24 PM (10:24 AM EST) or 4:30 PM.

Some 50 nations and over 600 rowers will converge in Racic to determine the world champion in singles, doubles, quads, eights and in some categories lightweight events.

Joining Robinson in the U.S. Lightweight quad boat are Victoria Burke (Virginia ’09), Summers Nelson (Virginia ’10) and Devery Karz (Oregon State ’10). Burke and Nelson were part of the University Virginia team that finished second at the recent NCAA Division I Championships.

Burke is the stroke on the U.S. lightweight quad, with Robinson in seat 3, Nelson in seat 2 and Karz in the bow. The boat will train this week in Connecticut before heading to the Czech Republic to train on the racecourse.

Robinson did find enough time in her demanding schedule to respond to questions.

Did you row in high school before arriving at Williams?

“I did. I learned to row the summer before my junior year of high school for Everett Rowing Association. I loved it and my coach convinced me to stay on for the fall instead of running cross country. I've been a year-round rower ever since. In fact, that novice coach, Corrie McGrath, is currently working with Justin Moore [Eph women’s head crew coach] coaching the Junior National Team this summer. The rowing world is so small and I love that coaches who have seen me at completely different stages of my career are working so closely together.“

What is a typical day like in your training now?

“We typically do an early morning row that's about 90 minutes, early in camp we did it in small boats like singles or doubles, but since we've been racing the quad we've focused primarily on that boat. We reconvene for a late afternoon workout that is either another long session or do shorter pieces of higher intensity and speed. Since it's a lightweight team and we have to keep an eye on our weight, we often have optional low-intensity third sessions in the middle of the day. The training hours are long, but manageable.”

When did you feel that you were capable of competing for a spot at the U23 Lightweight World Championships?

“I applied to the lightweight national team selection camps in the early spring and my invitation was offered at the end of April. I began the whole process last November when I went to ID camp at Princeton with four of my Williams teammates. While we were testing there I connected with a national team coach who gave my contact info to John Parker, the head coach for the US national lightweight team. From there he and I talked about the possibilities and eventually he oversaw the application and selection process.

“From fitness testing we did in the fall, Justin encouraged me to start thinking about the possibility of rowing competitively beyond Williams. He saw potential given my size and fitness, and that thought stayed in the back of my mind through the rest of the year.”

With continued success at the U23 Lightweight Worlds will you stick with rowing for a while or will you be moving on to a career opportunity in the "real" world.
I would love to continue to row at an elite level after this summer. I don't have any long-term career plans at present, but I am planning on moving back to the Seattle area and finding a job that allows me to train as much as possible. The Pocock Rowing Center in Seattle has a well-respected elite lightweight program and wonderful facilities and I hope to join them if they let me! I think that spending a year working and trying to train will help me decide how far I want to pursue rowing and how much potential I have to be successful at a national or international level.

Is an Olympics berth a goal at this time?

“A 2012 Olympic berth would be fantastic, but I have a lot of work to do before I can aspire to compete at that level! Then again, I never thought I would be on the U23 national team either. I'm just going to focus on each goal as it comes.”

Note: The last Eph to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Women’s Rowing Team was Elizabeth Smith ’01 who was a member of the quad boat in 2000.

What does it mean to you to have been a part of the most successful Div. III program in the nation with 4 consecutive NCAA titles?

“No matter how long or exciting the rest of my rowing career is, I am sure my experience at Williams will be impossible to top. I am so privileged to have been a part of the streak of NCAA wins, and there's not a group of women with whom I'd rather be associated.”

“I feel like I developed so much as an athlete under Justin's coaching and grew so close with my teammates that our victories were not just about winning races, but about working hard together through tough workouts in the middle of the winter and supporting each other through injury and hardship as well as success. Williams is consistently successful because we consistently expect excellence from each other. Our coaches give us the tools to be fast and fit, and I am proud to say that one hallmark of Williams Women's Crew is the ability to hold ourselves accountable for how much work we do and our willingness to go beyond what is merely required and work to achieve the exceptional. I'm proud to be part of such a legacy of dedication and I foresee only the best for the team in the future. While I'm sad that my time with the team is over, I am excited to watch such a phenomenal team continue to meet and exceed the high standards of commitment, dedication, and respect that set Williams Crew apart from other programs.”