There is something about synchronized sports that bring people together. When I sit down in a boat with eight other girls we become more than ourselves, we become a powerful machine others would not dare to cross. When every waking hour outside of school is spent with the same twenty girls, there is no way we could not be influenced by each other. Every stroke is oiled to perfection, no nut or bolt out of place. Sitting in that boat I can feel the movement of each individual girl, and they can feel me. We move as one force, race as one, think as one. A rower’s mind is more than resilient. A rower never backs down. A rower pushes through the fiery wall at the last 500 meters, because they know that if they do not they will not only let themselves down but also the eight other rowers who did not even consider stopping. This mindset is drilled so deep into our minds that it does not simply dissipate when I step out of the boat, or drive home from practice. Such mental strength shows itself in all aspects of my life. The girls at crew have made it impossible to back down from any challenge be it final exams, speaking up during discussions, or stepping forward to lead a club. I continue to push myself to my limit, and then a little more, because I know I can. My teammates have showed me that.