An Introduction from Director of Rowing, Noel Wanner

Greetings to one and all!

I’m delighted to welcome you to the Friends of Tufts Rowing. This new organization, started by some dedicated alumni, aims to bring together the extraordinary people who have been touched by rowing at Tufts. Their goal is to connect you, the far-flung Tufts Rowing family, with each other, and by doing that, to help carry the values and spirit of our team out into the larger world.

Rowing is hard, and it changes lives. In the moments of great challenge which rowing brings, we discover a wonderful version of ourselves— courageous and resilient, focused, and determined, steadfast and true. Rowing takes us to a place beyond ourselves, and we return to the world with a larger heart, a wider horizon.

Rowing also connects us together: in those moments of great challenge, of exhilaration or even the moments of defeat, we find some of the truest friendship— friendships based on trust, shared suffering, and shared triumph.

The Friends of Tufts Rowing will seek to remind us all of that wide horizon, and to connect us together in the continued effort to be that better version of ourselves. Through mentoring opportunities, fun social events, and support of the current team, the Tufts Rowing family can extend the life-changing strength of the rowing experience far beyond the four years of college rowing.

Rowing played a transformative role in my life—getting me out of bed before dawn to discover my limits, and move beyond them. If you are reading this letter, there is a good chance rowing has played a pretty important role in your life at some point as well. I hope you will join me in supporting the Friends of Tufts Rowing—and I hope to meet you all at a race or a Tufts Rowing event soon!

Best,