Meet the Team
Olympia Fisher - Rowing Student Manager
Olympia is a junior from Akron who is the undergraduate Student Manager. After initially trying out for the team her freshman year, she found this role and has been with the team since then. In her role, Olympia assists Joe on and off the water with everything from rigging and derigging rowing shells to doing laundry, and everything in between. When she is not working with the rowing team, Olympia is working on a degree in Natural Resource Management with a specialization in Parks and Rec and a sub-specialization in Wildlife.
What is your role with Ohio State rowing and what are your responsibilities?
I am the Student Manager. As the student manager I do whatever Joe asks me to do, including doing laundry, taking inventory, rigging and derigging rowing shells, clear the river of debris on regatta days, drive launches on trailers to Alum Creek, the list goes on!
What interested you in becoming the student manager for the Women’s Rowing Team and how long have you been with the team?
I actually tried out for the NOV team my freshman year and didn’t make it. I reached out to Kate with some questions and she told me that Joe was looking for undergraduate help so I emailed him and they’ve been stuck with me ever since.
What does it mean to you to continue to be a part of the team through this role?
Although I may not row, I am very thankful to be part of the team. The longer I am involved with the team and rowing as a sport, the easier it becomes. My knowledge and experience continue to grow and I have learned to problem solve and not be afraid to ask questions (Joe knows this all too well).
What is your favorite part of your role with the team? And this program?
My favorite part of my job are the relationships I’ve been able to form and continue to form with the rowers, coaches, and Joe. Being able to express myself and my thoughts freely is something that I value and I can do that around the team. Something that I like about the program is that it is in fact a team, there’s no one person that can make everything happen. We all need eachother in order to succeed and I think that’s true for my job. There is a lot that we do in the shop to make things run smoothly, the rowers lift and train outside of practices, and the coaches come up with strategies to make our shells faster. Altogether, we make a great rowing team but without one of those, we wouldn’t get very far.
What do you hope to accomplish in your role with Ohio State rowing?
Maybe one day I will be able to repair a rowing shell without any instruction.
What are some lessons you have learned being a part of the Ohio State rowing program?
Communication is key. It’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.
What is your favorite tradition at Ohio State?
One of my best friends and I climb at the OAC on campus. When finals roll around we will climb for hours on end and then we’ll grab dinner together at Eden Burger. It’s always nice to be able to debrief and just enjoy the company of a friend.
What are you plans after graduation?
I want to buy a van and convert it to a camper so I can go out west and visit all the fun National Parks and climb some rocks. After I get that out of my system, I’ll probably move back home and get a job to pay off student loans while I look for park ranger jobs back out west.
Sierra Tiede - Student Athlete
The Missoula, Montana native is in her third year rowing for Ohio State. Sierra was a member of the 2V4 boat that took first at last season's B1G Championship, finishing 10-0 in races and 32-0 overall. Off the water, she is pursuing a degree in International Studies - Security and Intelligence.
What made you want to be a part of Ohio State Rowing?
I was really active in athletics in high school and I missed having that competitive outlet. When I went to look to get involved with something and the opportunity to join a program of such hardworking, motivating, and good-hearted women presented itself to me, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of.
What do you think makes Ohio State so special?
I think Ohio State is special because of the people that make it up. Yes, “The People. The Tradition. The Excellence.” is a motto of the school's, but that specific aspect of it never fails to amaze me. Whether it’s my teammates, our coaching and training staff, or my instructors, the people who make up this massive institution, make it such a positive environment in which everyone seeks success and helps others to do the same.
What are you looking forward to most this season?
I’m most looking forward to another opportunity to make my way down the race course surrounded by my incredible teammates. There’s something so special about giving your all for the people you love and knowing that they’re literally right there in front of and behind you doing the exact same thing. Not to mention going out there and competing like Buckeyes do is usually a rewarding experience in and of itself.
What are your hobbies outside of rowing?
I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies necessarily, but any time spent with teammates or other friends is always enjoyable! Be it movies, car rides, dinner, it’s easy to make a good time of anything when you’re surrounded by meaningful people. Individually, I enjoy cooking which is a fun thing I’m able to play around with when I do my meal prepping for the week. On a more obscure side, I really enjoy finding origami projects to break up homework or chores.
Do you have a favorite study spot on campus?
I actually prefer studying and doing homework at home. I have my desk or my kitchen table to work from and I think that more often than not I’m just tired by the end of the day between schoolwork and rowing and it’s easier for me to turn in for the night if I’m just working from home.
How do you balance being a student athlete?
The biggest thing for me in finding a balance was learning to get the majority of my work done on the weekends. At the end of the day, there are few things I want to focus on besides eating dinner and getting to bed and if I’m caught up on my homework before the week even starts, that’s a more realistic expectation for how my days can wrap up.
The team will be making the move into the Schumaker Complex very soon. What are you most excited for when it comes to this facility?
Besides simply moving into a facility that looks like it came out of a movie?! We’re getting so spoiled I can't even believe it, but I think I’m most excited for our new locker room and lounge and their proximity to the other spaces we use. The new set up will make it such that we can utilize these really nice team spaces easily both before and after ergs and lifts.
Who/what is your biggest motivator?
My teammates are without a doubt my greatest motivators. They push me to be a better version of myself both physically and mentally every day. When workouts get tough or if life just gets difficult, it’s never a question as to who I'm going to turn to.
What are your goals for this season?
Personally, I’m aiming to race in one of the NCAA boats this year and I want to play a role in making that boat go fast. I raced as a novice, then I got to race in a B1G boat last year, and this year I want to be able to race all the way through the season instead of just cheering through the end.
What is your favorite tradition at Ohio State?
I think our tradition of singing boats off the dock with our version of the Ohio State fight song is probably my favorite tradition. Racing is so interesting in how such a big team suddenly becomes a much smaller unit, but when we do this it’s yet another reminder that it’s the people of our entire program and the culture that we share that make us a body so much stronger than any of us could ever be on our own.
Alumni Letters of Encouragement
As the women gear up to travel south for winter training, we would like to invite all alumni to send Letters of Encouragement to the team. While we love snow for the holiday’s - cold, gloomy days, and lots of ergging makes it hard to stay focused and sometimes remember the why.
These are letters of encouragement to keep fighting, keep working on stronger relationships with each other, and to believe in the plan.
The letters can be typed and/or hand written. Handwritten is preferred, but either works. We encourage each alum to write one to three letters. Content for the letters should come from the heart.
Ex.
1. It can be a favorite quote that you used to get through training and share why you chose it/how it can help them
2. Favorite memory of winter training and tips on how to stay focused
3. A story about starting as a novice and racing your first race to being a varsity rower
These are just a few examples, so feel free to be creative. The letter doesn’t have to be a book, but should be thoughtful and encouraging. Imagine if you were in their shoes. What would it be like as a novice, freshmen, or seasoned varsity rower going on their last training trip receiving a letter like this? We want them to know it is not just about them and they are not alone, but they have an army of people supporting them as it gets harder.
Please email your letter(s) by December 17th, 2018 to Pryor.90@osu.edu. If you are mailing letters we have move to a new building, yay! You can send all mail to:
Ashley L. Pryor
Schumaker Complex
615 Irving Schottenstein Dr., Suite 2322
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Potential Alumni Events
Before planning all the details we would like to gauge interest in regards to potential alumni events. Please click on the link below to fill out our three question form for the following ideas: (1) Alumni weekend and tailgate in Columbus, Ohio -April 12th-15th, (2) Meet us in Las Vegas- April 19th-20th, and (3) Join our planning committee for the 25th anniversary of the Women’s Rowing Program.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ashley L. Pryor at Pryor.90@osu.edu
Share Your Story
Global Smackdown
On November 17, 2018 the varsity and novice women merged as one to participate in the annual Global Smackdown. The women were split into teams representing Australia, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, India, Italy, and USA. Each team competed in erging and running challenges. This year’s winner was Team USA. Pictured below you will see the Coxswain erg race and Team USA celebrating their victory.
Row Fit Games
The week of November 26th, 2018 was full of excitement as the varsity women competed against one another to determine who would claim the title of Row Fit Champ. This challenge consisted of various erg measurements, distance running, and the ability to move some serious iron in the weight room. This year’s champ is junior, Maddie Perrett. She will hold the title until next year’s games. Congrats, Maddie!
Schumaker Complex
We have moved into our new home and we are loving it! Here’s a sneak peek at to the erg room, locker room, rower lounge, rowing office space, and video capturing all the student athlete’s reactions as they entered their new training facility.
Ohio State Rowing Clinics
Coaches Clinic:
January 19th, 2019
9:00am-6:00pm
For more information and to register visit http://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/camps/rowing/
Learn to Row Clinics:
Do you know anyone (9th grade and up) who is interested in learning to row? Check out our Learn to Row clinics this winter:
February 19th, 2019
For more information visit http://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/camps/rowing/ or contact Anna Goodale at Goodale.8@osu.edu
2019 Race Schedule
With the new year approaching, so is another season of Ohio State rowing! Check out the 2019 schedule and come out and support the Buckeyes.
To subscribe/unsubscribe, please email Ashley L. Pryor at Pryor.90@osu.edu