Sam arrived at Harvard first, and during that year he helped the freshman eight to an undefeated dual racing record, as well as a silver medal at Sprints and the IRA National Championships. His diligence earned him the respect of his teammates and coaches.

“[Sam] is always very focused,” said fellow sophomore teammate Michael DiSanto. “He has a very high standard with everything he does. We joke around, we call him the moral compass, because he always knows what’s right. He looks at everything objectively, and does not let his emotions get the better of him. He always gives guys the benefit of the doubt. He’s just a great, great guy. Everyone respects and looks up to him.”

Perhaps the only thing Sam places above rowing is family. He keeps in close touch with his parents in New Zealand—despite the 16 hour time difference—and when James arrived, Sam helped him get settled into college life.

“Sam’s a great older brother,” DiSanto said. “[He] always looks out for [James], making sure he stays on top of his work academically and making sure he gets his stuff done athletically as well.”

“Sam took me out in a small boat [when I first got here],” James added. “[He] showed me the river…the scene.”

Indeed, on the Charles is where they spend most of the year, always training for the next race. Their recent loss to Brown only further motivated them to polish and perfect their trade.

“You’ve got to train harder than you race,” James said. “You know that all the other colleges are full of guys working to beat Harvard.”

When asked which is the better oarsmen, both brothers were humble about their skills.

“Sam always set the standard I had to chase,” James said.

“James is better for his age than I was,” Sam replied. “We’re just helping each other get better and better.”