In his senior year, Matt rowed as part of the varsity four that won the national championship in 2009. It was a remarkable turnaround for a team which Matt himself described as fairly average up to that point.
“Between Matt and a couple of the other guys on the team, there was some great leadership and great potential there,” Grant said. “A number of the guys that were in that boat went to row in college at quite successful programs so I think there was a lot of potential in the group. Once the leadership showed, it helped them get their speed [and] get some of that competitive instinct that maybe they didn’t have as underclassmen.”
Grant did not shape Matt into a rower, but rather revealed a talent which had been there all along.
Matt cited two reasons for why he will be training with the USRowing team in Oklahoma City this summer rather than trying to get drafted in the NHL as he originally dreamed. He improved much more at crew than he ever did at hockey, and the sport of rowing rewards the skill Matt has most in abundance—diligence.
“I think the most rewarding part about [rowing] is that how good you end up being is directly correlated to how hard you work,” Matt said. “If you want to put in the time to go fast, you can do it. I know you can’t be successful if you don’t have the drive to push yourself beyond where you are comfortable. That’s how everyone on the team here ends up here.”
Matt acknowledges that practice improves one’s hockey performance as well, but not to the same degree as with rowing. There was always an element of chance involved, which was on some level frustrating for the extremely disciplined Matt.
“[Matt] is a pretty determined individual and he has worked hard to be where he is,” Liz said. “He’s put in the time and the focus that you need to do what he has done, or rather, what he is doing.”
Matt’s discipline and commitment to hard work has certainly reaped benefits in his career thus far.
Through four years of collegiate rowing, O’Leary’s boats have never lost a single dual meet.
Standing as co-captain on the No.1 ranked boat in the nation, he will be heading to EARC Sprints and then most likely to the IRA National Championships for one last time in the coming weeks.
While the Crimson record books will note down the four years of remarkable accomplishments of his senior class, the reason behind Matt’s success will be left out.
There is no box score, just as there is no replacement for strong commitment.
“You never have to wonder if O’Leary is pulling his weight,” sophomore lightweight rower Rob Hawthorne said. “He’s often the first person in the boathouse in the morning and one of the last ones to leave. He invests a lot of time and energy making sure he’s getting faster and he expects the same of everyone else.”