MERCER LAKE, N.J. – Pacific Lutheran rowing alum Natalie McCarthy qualified for her second World Championships Monday in the para-rowing event of legs, trunk and arms mixed double sculls.
McCarthy won bronze in the event at the 2013 World Rowing Championships and is joined by 2008 Paralympic silver medalist Jesse Karmazin in the two-person competition. McCarthy began her rowing career at PLU in 2005 and graduated with a degree in biology in 2009.
"We are so thrilled for Natalie to hear that she qualified again for the World Championships," PLU women's rowing coach Andy Foltz said. "Having someone work as hard as she has for the last few years, representing PLU and the USA at the highest level of competition is truly an inspiration for every one of our athletes, present and future. Every single member of PLU Crew is with her tugging on the handles, supporting her on this journey. We couldn't be more proud of her as an alum and wish we could all be there with her in France next month to cheer her on!"
McCarthy began rowing after running track in high school, seeking a sport that did not require vision after a brain tumor several years earlier had cost her eyesight. A Tacoma native, she attended Steilacoom High School before coming to PLU. She credits her experience at PLU for helping her take the first steps towards her successful rowing career.
"PLU has helped me prepare for this in so many ways," McCarthy said. "Of course, my coaches at PLU taught me the basic technique, which has obviously helped me to get where I am today. I think that more than the basics of the stroke though, it is the intangible elements of rowing that I learned at PLU that helped me most. I learned the importance of trusting my teammates, what it really means to be dedicated to a sport, work ethic, and most importantly, just a passion for competing in the sport of rowing. The love of this sport is what keeps me going back to it year after year even through the hardest of erg workouts or most devastating of losses. That love for the sport is something not every rowing program passes to the athletes so I am very thankful for the positive experiences I had with the small D3 program."
The 2015 World Rowing Championships are scheduled for Aug. 30 through Sept. 6 in Aiguebelette, France. McCarthy will take aim at another top finish, although she believes that the competition will be stronger than two years ago when she earned bronze.
"The LTA 2x race has become very competitive internationally," McCarthy said. "The field also has much more depth than it had in 2013 when I was last competing for the national team. That said, I have trained very hard and my partner, Jesse Karmazin, is very talented and powerful so I have no doubt that we will be competitive at the World Championships. We plan to train with the gold medal standard in mind and of course hope to come home with hardware. I think though a very realistic goal for us though is the A final."
The United States is one of the few countries that does not compensate its national rowing team members for the World Championships in France, meaning McCarthy and Karmazin are required to fundraise and pay their own way. To learn more and help support McCarthy and Karmazin, click here.
