TOP ROWERS
> Controlling the eight
Mary Whipple coxes the
USA women’s eight to gold
at the 2007 World Rowing
Championships.
after certain rows but for the most part I hear
news from Tom as soon as the girls do. When
the crew are training in smaller boats Whipple
rides in the coaching launch. “Tom does have a
rule,” says Whipple. “What is said in the launch
stays in the launch.”
Whipple coxed at the junior club level. This
was the start of an experience that took her to
the World Rowing Junior Championships at the
age of 18, on to intercollegiate rowing success
and then to the US senior national team. At the
age of 22 Whipple was a World Champion.
>
© 2007 Vladimir Rys/Getty Images
Since making the national team, Whipple has
worked almost solely with US head women’s
coach Tom Terhaar. Whipple calls it a careful
relationship between Terhaar and the athletes.
“I make it a point to be treated like any other
athlete on the team. I do give Tom feedback
Whipple’s point of being treated like any
other athlete means that her relationship to
Terhaar’s is like that of an athlete’s. “Rowers
have to know what he wants technically and
physiologically in the same way that I have to
know how Tom wants the eight to perform,”
says Whipple. “If I had to choose between a
coach’s trust and the rowers’ trust, I’d choose
having the rowers’ trust first and the coach’s
trust second. I’m first a teammate that just
happens to be sitting in the coxswain seat
where I have to fill that role just like stroke
seat has to perform her role.”
During a race Whipple
has a favourite
feeling rather
than a favourite
call. “When I have
that feeling that a
call needs to be made
and we all buy into it and nail the execution, it’s
an amazing feeling.” Whipple uses the race plan
as the focus when the crew is feeling the pain
of the race. “Our focus is in our lane and on the
goals we’ve set for our team and if I can help
with any words that will keep that focus then
that would be me fulfilling my role and that would
be awesome.”
Whipple coxed full-time for eight years before
taking a break following the Beijing Olympic
Games to finish her master’s degree in
intercollegiate athletic leadership. She is now
back full-time as a coxswain but also continues
her consultancy business in advising coxswains.
She calls herself the 9th seat.
● M.S.B.
