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As rowers from around the country gather to compete in the Head of Charles Regatta, a few boats each year are filled not by undergraduates, but by former college athletes who make their way to Cambridge to race one more time on a familiar course.

Last year, one of these alumni was Calliste Skouras ’24, a former Harvard-Radliffe lightweight rower who returned to Harvard’s campus only a few months after graduating to join the alumni boat for the first time.

Skouras, a former Crimson business associate and current analyst at McKinsey, described her undergraduate experience with the regatta as magical. She has especially fond memories of the time when the team went into the competition with standard expectations, but ended up unexpectedly winning in the women’s lightweight eight for the first time in five years.

“I think that really got us so excited as a team that we were on the up and up,” Skouras said. “That was kind of a turning point where our team started to get closer and closer towards being a top-ranked team in the country and just becoming a winning team.”

Skouras was excited to return last year as an alumna and experience once more the excitement of her undergraduate days on the team. She emphasizes the joy of reuniting with her former teammates and remembering their unforgettable undergraduate experiences together.

“It was really nostalgic,” she said. “I remember the practice before even tearing up a little bit because I was again with my best friends in a lineup that was very similar to what I had remembered in the past.”

Skouras says the most noteworthy moment of racing last year was competing with her best friends again on their course that was full of memories. She and her returning teammates all value this special experience and want to keep participating in the regatta.

Skouras also noted the mindset regarding the regatta is very different after graduating. Returning alumni enjoy the benefits of both excitement and a more stress-free attitude leading up to the event.

“I would say the primary objective of the alumni boat is fun,” Skouras said. “The stakes are much much lower.”

The goal is to come back and enjoy the same race without the pressure of fiercely competing toward a title.

“It’s the same exact course,” she said. “ You’re in the same type of boat, the atmosphere is the same, but the stakes are much lower.”

Alumni like Skouras are also drawn back to the regatta each year because of the significant meaning it holds.

“What makes it so special is not only that it is one of the biggest regattas in the world, but also that Harvard is at the epicenter of this race,” she said. “Therefore, a lot of the Harvard community comes out to support it.”

Because HOCR is a home race for Harvard, alumni are especially inclined to return because they are able to row through the same course they did as undergraduates.

The regatta also attracts some of the biggest student and family crowds during the year. Even though the main races for the rowing season are in the spring, Skouras says that the Head of the Charles is what people were most curious to hear about.

Because the Charles River is Harvard’s home course, the regatta advantages returning participants. With such a rigorous and windy course, the race is often difficult. Thus, Skouras notes the home advantage that they have in the alumni boats and the inclined urge to win to protect their home territory.

Coming back to Harvard, graduated rowers are also able to see the progression and continuation of tradition by the current team.

“Team culture is something that continually builds upon itself from year to year,” Skouras said.

She says it feels valuable seeing the innovation that the team keeps bringing in each year. She notes how special it feels seeing the current team not only continue but also expand upon their traditions.

Skouras will make her return this weekend for her second year in the alumni boats, in what she hopes will be an annual event for her.

“I think the highlight was truly just being back with my best friends in an environment that we all love so much,” she said. “I am excited to see all my best friends again to lay it all out on that river like I used to do every day but now only get to do once a year.”

– Staff Writer Kaylyn H. Kim can be reached at kaylyn.kim@thecrimson.com.