Catherine Campbell wakes up every weekday at 6 a.m. for morning workouts and practices. She walks her puppy, occasionally visits Buzzbrews for breakfast and then heads off to class. Afternoon practices appear on her schedule throughout the week, as Campbell balances work, school and athletics.
She hopes to one day be like Susan Francia, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Rowing Champion. Already, the resemblance between the two is uncanny. Both women have brown hair with highlights from the time spent under the sun. Toned shoulders and ripped leg muscles ripple with each stroke the athletes take. Standing at 6-foot-2, the two are even the same height. They even have the same car … kind of. While Campbell cruises around in a yellow Nissan Xterra, Francia prefers a smaller Nissan Z.
Neither of the athletes got their start in rowing, but Campbell hopes to one day be as successful as her idol in the sport she has grown to love.
Campbell, a former member of the SMU women’s basketball team, spent two seasons on the court at the post position, before trading in her running shoes for the water. Campbell was a member of the 2008 NCAA Tournament team, but averaged just less than four minutes per game in her second season on the team.
“Rowing is such a different philosophy than basketball,” said Campbell. “In rowing you have to concentrate on what you can control. I owe so much to [SMU women’s basketball coach] Rhonda Rompola and the athletic department for this opportunity.”
Transitioning to rowing later in an athlete’s career is not unusual, according to the rowing team’s head coach, Doug Wright.
“People who play basketball are better rowers because of the hand-eye coordination and body control,” explained Wright.
Looking for a chance of pace, Campbell sought out Wright, the head coach of the rowing program in hopes to finding a new niche.
“There are a huge number of national team athletes that didn’t start rowing until they came to college,” said Wright. “Most people that successful are the athletes that have previous athletic experience. It helps them understand how athletics work because they understand the ultimate goal is to win.”
Today, Campbell competes with the varsity eight and four boats, including a third place finish against Alabama and the University of North Carolina.
“She’s a natural athlete,” said Wright about Campbell’s instant success on the team. “She’s got the height, weight, build and wingspan, so everything is proportional when she’s in the boat. She’s what I see in a national team participant.”
In Campbell’s debut season on the team, the rowing program also received a new boathouse at White Rock Lake – the site of the team’s practices. The boathouse will be finished in late July or early August.
Considered to be a sport for the Ivy Leagues, SMU has struggled with recruiting, but Wright said he got the “complete package” with Campbell. “Her motivation and desire to get better are important to the level she wants to get to.”
Now, after being on the SMU rowing team for just one season, Campbell, a junior CCPA at SMU, has the opportunity to one day become a member of the 2009 U.S. Open Rowing Women’s National Team, should she perform well at a pre-elite camp this summer at Indiana University.
The U.S. National Team Pre-Elite Development Camp will help develop future national competitors in their overall technique, by focusing on small boats to help athletes improve their overall fitness and increase their strength to weight ratio. The camp invites athletes they see as potential competitors in national and world competitions.
Participants will compete in several regattas throughout the summer, with a possibility of the top two to four athletes receiving the opportunity to race at the Elite Nationals and the U23 Trials (Under 23).
The World Rowing Under 23 Championships feature the up-and-coming athletes who are too old to compete at the junior level, but still need to train to hang with the senior elite competitors. Each championship draws 600 athletes from 40 countries, preparing the best for the Olympic Games.
