Nine people moving together as if one.

Rowing is very much like poetry. it has a special cadence, a special rhythm, making it a graceful form of expression.

If rowing is poetry, then Juliet Thompson is a poet.

On September 10, when most of us were getting ready for school, Thompson was traveling to Seoul, South Korea to compete for the United States Women's Rowing Team in the Olympics.

Thompson began the journey of a lifetime, a chance to showcase her poetry to the world.

"I always wanted to be in the Olympics...I think every little kid thinks about it," Thompson says.

For most of us, the Olympics are a catalyst for our imagination. They spark fantastic dreams about winning the race and being in the spotlight. For Thompson, the dreams were a reality--but so was the intense work.

To become a member of the women's rowing team is an exhausting four year process. National testing is conducted each year in November and February. During the year of the Olympics, a winter camp is held. Last December, Thompson left school at Thanksgiving and went to Seattle, the site of one two rowing training centers, for three weeks. She was evaluated by the Olympic coaches, went through technical drills and competed in seat races.

The other training center, fortunately for Thompson, is located in Boston. Thompson was able to train with the Boston center in the morning and with Radcliffe in the afternoon. Seven hours of rowing each day.

In June, Thompson competed at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis where the two training centers faced off. Thirty people, including Thompson, who raced with the Boston center and whose boat came in second, were invited to another Olympic camp.

The top three boats from the Nationals then traveled to Lucerne, Switzerland for an international competition. Thompson's eight-women boat finished third behind Romania and East Germany. Thompson describes Lucerne as "beautiful...with an incredible regatta."

After Lucerne, it was back to camp and back to more cuts. Twenty-two women were left, and, for the next four weeks, from mid-July to mid-August, they trained constantly. This was an "absolutely horrible time" for Thompson. Not only was the racing methodical, but "you have to get up and race your friends. It drains you," she says.

All the years of training and dedication came down to this final month. Only the top eight rowers in the U.S. make the boat. Thompson made it. She was in the bow. She was off to Seoul.

Brilliant Sea

A sea of faces. Banners flowing in the Asian sky. The countries march forth, first Greece, then...then the U.S. Juliet Thompson is there. She is representing Harvard, the U.S. and her family. Juliet Thompson has brought her poetry to Seoul.