“It was definitely a hard decision and something that I had to think about,” Rummel said of choosing to continue rowing. “But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that this was the only time I could do it. And if I didn’t do it, I knew that I would regret it.”

Even though he is young for a rowing Olympian, having just graduated from the U-23 ranks last year, Rummel is ever conscious of the often-fleetingly short limelight of an Olympian.

“You know this could be my first out of a long Olympic career, or it could be my last one,” Rummel said. “This could be my only chance, so I’m going to try and make the most of it.”

In doing so, Rummel feels a responsibility to row for more than just himself.

“I’m representing everyone I ever rowed with or against—they all helped me get here,” Rummel said. “I feel like I’m rowing for them. I want to do this for myself, but I recognize that if I didn’t have all these other teammates, coaches pushing me, and parents supporting me, then I wouldn’t be here.”

—Staff writer Alexander Koenig can be reached at akoenig@college.harvard.edu.