And so, partly in preparation for the Head of the Charles and partly because she missed the sport, Alex joined a local rowing club.

“It’s been really fun,” she says. “I feel like a rower again. After a few months of not rowing, my hands got all soft and lost their calluses...I have found a boat that’s a mixed eight that’s really fun to row with...I enjoy meeting new people, and there’s talking in the boat between pieces. It’s jokey, and we’re all there to have fun.”

Alex won’t be the most talented rower in the Alumnae Eight, which includes Olympic Gold Medalist Caryn Davies ‘04-’05 and former All-American Laura Huppert ’10, but she might just be the most enthusiastic.

“I’m really excited,” she says. “Christine [Baugh ’10] and Hup are in the boat and I don’t think I’ve ever rowed with them before. Two girls who were on the team my freshman year are rowing: Danielle Thiriot and Katie Golden. I didn’t know them because I didn’t row my freshman year. I finally get to meet them and row with them...I think it will be really neat for all the different classes to get together.”

Alex’s rowing career may not be as distinguished as those upperclassmen, at least not in terms of boat rankings and race results. But I would argue that her influence on the team has been no less profound. Anyone who’s ever rowed in a boat with her can’t help but take on her competitive zeal. Any time the going gets tough, it’s hard not to think of your teammate who really appreciates every moment she has on the water. I know that rowing with Alex has helped me put my own challenges in perspective. Every rower, every athlete has an inspiration, a teammate who motivates them to push harder and enjoy more. Alex is mine.

—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.