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Health & Fitness

Robinson Crew Alum Charting New Waters at Texas Christian University

Like most college freshmen home on winter break, Rachel Bynum of Fairfax Station took time to enjoy the holidays and reconnect with her family and friends.  The Robinson alum judged her former crew team’s chili cook-off, took in a movie with her mom and sister, and got some rest after her challenging first semester as a kinesiology major at Texas Christian University.

She also found time to pulse her extensive network of crew coaches and rowers in the area for donations and advice on a project that has consumed a great deal of her time.  As she settles back to her studies at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, she is also forming the first-ever TCU crew club.

When Bynum was looking at colleges, TCU had the best program to offer in her chosen field of study.  She selected the university knowing that it was one of the few to which she applied that did not have a crew team.  It was not long before she missed the sport that had become such a big part of her life.

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“I stayed in touch with a lot of my friends from Robinson and NVRC, and so many of them continued rowing in college,” she said.  She began to formulate a plan that would allow her to continue to be active in the sport.

Putting out regular messages through TCU’s activities email exchange, Bynum was able to garner enough interest from the student body to register the TCU Crew Club as a sports club.  She has enlisted a fellow student to serve as “second in command” in organizing the students.  At this time, about 34 students have expressed interest in the club, which according to school rules must be co-ed.  She’s hoping to have enough dedicated rowers to fill at least two eight-people shells, one male and one female to race in regional regattas next fall.

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“Spring will be a building season,” Bynum said.    

Finding interested members was just one challenge.  Bynum also needed equipment and coaching help.  Just a handful of the students who have registered for the club have ever rowed before.  Fortunately, Bynum reached out early in her planning to Bridget Guccione, president of the Fort Worth Rowing Club.   

Guccione shared with Bynum that she had always wanted to see a TCU team established, but had needed an interested student to serve as an organizer.  Through Guccione, Fort Worth Rowing Club has offered the TCU club practice time at its location on the Trinity River and some volunteer coaching.  Guccione has provided Bynum with a wealth of mentoring and advice, as well as connections with the collegiate crew community in the region.

While Bynum plans to become an occupational therapist, she has demonstrated skills in marketing as she reaches out to others to support her team.   She’s contacted many of the coaches in the Big 12 rowing conference for assistance, and several have offered guidance and invitations to scrimmage. 

Local Fairfax County crew coaches have also offered their support.  Dane Underwood, head crew coach Oakton High School has offered use of the team’s retired equipment.  Paul Allbright, Madison High School’s head crew coach, who Bynum refers to as “the most influential coach of my career,” has served as a long-distance mentor, providing valuable advice throughout the process.  She also mentioned her parents and her grandfather have served as a steady source of guidance and financial support.

Bynum credits the discipline, rigor and time management that she learned as a rower for both Robinson Crew and the Northern Virginia Rowing Club for giving her the organizational skills needed to establish the team while carrying a full academic course load.  “I was used to spending several hours a day on the water,” she said.  “It’s been no problem to find time to work on this and keep up with my studies.” 

She admits that she may have to scale back on her expectations to retain interest among students who have so many other academic and extracurricular commitments.  “I’m thinking we will have to hold two or three practices a week.” 

In addition to sharing her sport with fellow classmates, Bynum looks forward to introducing them to the additional benefits of crew, to include the sense of community that comes from both connecting with your teammates and your surroundings.  She hopes that club members will engage in Fort Worth Rowing Club’s initiatives to restore the Trinity River in exchange for the support TCU will receive from the club. 

Bynum states that her ultimate goal is to see crew established as a varsity sport at TCU.  She accepts that this goal will likely be achieved long after her days as a student there.  

“Rowing in high school was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Bynum said.  “I just want others to have that experience.”  

 

 

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