Women's Team Wednesday: Mackenzie Elliott

As you all read, Brian did his last Men's Team Monday on his best friend and roommate, Nick. Now many of you may not know this but fate handed me a gift my senior year of high school and I now go to college with my childhood best friend: Mackenzie Elliott. Mackenzie and I have been inseparable since we were nine years old and have stayed together since. Life has taken us on an interesting journey, with rowing being a large aspect of that and with that, it only made sense to make my favorite ginger my last Women's Team Wednesday.

Mackenzie Elliott

Freshman

Hometown: Manlius, NY 

Major: Early Childhood Education

Years Rowing: 5

Fun Fact: She thinks (make that knows) that she's a poet

Q: How did you start rowing?

A: Are all of these questions going to be rowing? Okay. How did I start rowing? Well I was kinda forced to. I didn't want to and wanted to have a lazy summer but my mom said no you're going to try rowing and I said nah, man I just want to chill. Two weeks later I was being dropped off for a learn-to -row camp. I ended up not sucking and thought rowing was fun and a good way to exercise and so that fall I quit cheerleading and decided to dedicate my full time to rowing.

Q: What do you like about rowing?

A: I feel like everyone always says that they do it for the team, and yes that's true but what rowing gives you that other sports never did is a long, drawn-out adrenaline rush. Cheerleading had routines that lasted 2.5 minutes and I used to think that was long and then came rowing. Seven minutes is a long time and that's in a boat. On my own it takes me 7:33 and being able to exert my body for that long showed me what being an athlete was. I'm not saying cheerleading isn't a sport but rowing opened my eyes to something on such a higher level of athletic performance. 

Q: Why the 'Hurst? Besides the fact that you couldn't stay away from me?

A: Oh you know that's obviously it. Well, I came in as a psych major so that was a big part since they have a great program. For rowing, I would say it was Jamie and Adrian that made me want to row here. Other schools didn't make me feel as welcomed and when I came here the coaches and teammates made me feel like I was already apart of the team. I don't know, it was like he kind of expected me to come and row and he already knew what I was thinking and that this was the right place for me in the back of his mind. And I mean, who can really let down Adrian?

Q: What advice to you have for incoming freshman rowers?

A: Don't expect to know who you are. When I came here I thought I knew what I wanted and what I wanted to strive for. That changed even in the first semester. You just feel lost - lost in rowing or lost in life, that's just apart of it all. You just have to accept that and continue to work hard at what you want to achieve and find something that drives you through the good and bad. Oh, and rowing is hard. 

"Oh no I'm going to fall out!" (Caption by Mackenzie) 

Q: You were injured in the middle of racing season and told you couldn't row - what was that like?

A: Can you just put it sucked? I think it's any rower's worst nightmare to be told you can't row. I had felt like I had finally started to prove myself. I was starting to show the coaches why I was here and started to believe in myself and believe that I could do it. And to then be told I can't seat race the next week and I can't even row? It was pretty awful. People thought I was dead, ya know? The entire team wondered where I was and that's my family. This was the first time all year I felt normal and rowers aren't normal. Adrian tells us everyday that what we do isn't normal and winning isn't normal and I had become used to that lifestyle. Having it taken away from me was hard, and admitting something was wrong was the hardest. I saw my injury as a weakness and although I'm fine now, I feel like I missed out on a lot and had to mentally start over.

Q: You said you were a poet, can you write a poem for us?

A: Can you handle being blown away?

Q: Can you write a poem about Mercyhurst Rowing just off the top of your head? As a nice way to finish this interview?

30 minutes goes by of Mackenzie trying to prove herself as the next great American poet 

A: Ode to Incoming Mercyhurst Rowers

Welcome to Mercyhurst Rowing, 

Our pride is always showing.

The lightweight men 

Weigh-in again

And ride ponies off in the sunset.

Welcome to Findley Lake,

The docks will always break

Adrian speaks

Rates will peak

And burritos will make us happy

Welcome to Egan Dining Hall

Where rowers go after study hall

Rhonda says hi

The eggs go goodbye

And I’m sorry but that is all.