For PA senior Natalie Fisher, what began as a curiosity about an unfamiliar sport has grown into a defining high school experience. After joining PA’s crew team her freshman year without any prior knowledge of rowing, Fisher has spent the last four years advancing from a novice to a varsity A boat rower. She has represented PA at regattas, which are rowing races, across Virginia and beyond. At the first regatta of this fall season in Williamsburg, her boat placed first. “I was really proud of us for it,” she reflected.
Participating in Crew requires significant commitment to the sport. PA’s team practices daily from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. throughout the school year. The fall season begins in November, followed by winter conditioning during the off-season, and the spring season runs from around February to May. Most weekends during competition seasons are dedicated to traveling to regattas, sometimes as far as Northern Virginia or North Carolina.
For Fisher, who is also an International Baccalaureate student, balancing her rigorous academic life with athletics requires well-developed time management skills. “I try to get a lot of my work done before practice or whenever I have free time,” she said.
She credits much of her growth to PA’s crew team coach Jon Macy, who has guided her since her freshman year. “He has helped me grow as a rower a lot and has supported me in all of the things I wanted to achieve,” Fisher shared.
One of her biggest challenges came when she first rowed a single boat. Unlike the usual eight-person boats, which have a coxswain who steers and acts as the team’s “eyes” while rowers face backward, single boats require the rower to manage directing independently. “I did not know how to steer very well. I steered off course and was not able to win even though I was strong,” she recalled. Determined to improve, Fisher focused on her steering skills the following season until she became more competitive.
Through her years on the team, Fisher has learned that success comes from more than just strength and endurance. “What makes a team good is respect because it causes failure or wins,” she said. “Having good boat culture is really important.” She credits last year’s team’s chemistry as a key factor in their achievements: “We were such a good boat because we all respected each other and helped each other out and worked well with each other,” she explained.
The crew team has many pre-race traditions, including playing the song “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC before competitions and hosting pasta dinners at teammates’ homes to carb-load the night before regattas. The team also occasionally celebrates with beach days to unwind after long seasons.
For future students considering joining the PA crew team, Fisher encourages them to give it a try. “It’s a very rare team you come across—a fun experience where you form a lot of bonds,” she said. Fisher reminds new rowers to stay positive and embrace any challenges they meet, emphasizing how the sport allows you to grow both mentally and physically. Tryouts take place during the first two weeks of school, with opportunities to learn the basics of rowing over the summer.
As Fisher prepares to graduate, she reflects on how her four years of rowing have provided her with valuable experiences and lessons. Her time on the team has taught her perseverance, teamwork, and dedication. These are lessons she plans to carry beyond PA and into her future endeavors.
