Photos provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Senior crew member Issabella Hussey will continue her career at the collegiate level as a coxwain for the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Upon moving to Saratoga Springs, Issabella’s mother searched for an activity her children could participate in and found the sport of crew. After going to a few introductory summer camps, Hussey found a new love as a rower for the Saratoga Rowing Association.
As the years went on, Hussey decided that this was a sport she wanted to continue to do all throughout college – especially at a Division I university. But her pragmatic awareness of her petite stature created some doubts to whether she could compete at a collegiate level. Where someone else may have given up, Hussey’s determination led her to seek out another route and she trained to be her team’s coxswain.
“I coxed a few times for the freshman girls over the summer just cause they needed someone, and I loved it, I absolutely loved it,” said Hussey. “It’s more mind challenging, where rowing is more physically challenging.”
As a coxswain Hussey doesn’t row but sits at the stern of the boat and directs and encourages her teammates during a race. Hussey frequently listened to audio tapes of other coxswains to get herself up to speed to compete with others at her level. In particular, she listened to tapes of Olympic coxswain Mary Whipple.
“She basically motivated me. In the first three months of being a coxswain I went from the four view (which is our worst boat) to the two view which is our second-best boat,” said Hussey. “She kind of inspired me.”
When it came time to begin the college recruitment process Hussey began to send emails filled with information on her rowing career to various crew coaches throughout the country. Within a matter of minutes, she received a response from the head coach at the University of Louisville.
“We talked a lot. We had phone calls throughout the year. Actually, the coach, her family lives in Saratoga, and she came up to visit her mom. So, we met up at Uncommon Grounds downtown and me and my mom met her formally and she offered me an official,” said Hussey.
On this official visit, Hussey embedded herself in the daily routine of the Louisville team. Within a week of her visit she was offered a scholarship, which she accepted by committing to the university.
As driven as she is, Hussey says she couldn’t have made it this far without the support of her father, grandmother and her biggest inspiration, her mother.
“(She) really pushed me to go hard in school and crew. I think it’s really helped me get where I am right now. Without her telling me to get on stuff and do things, I would not be where I am.”
Hussey’s favorite part about being on a crew team is the family aspect. The countless hours spent with her teammates and their families, and hearing her family and friends cheering her on from across the water.
“There is not one day where I’m like ‘I don’t wanna go to crew,’ because once I’m there, I’m having so much fun,” said Hussey.
This time next year, Hussey will be expanding her crew family as she races in Kentucky with the Louisville team.
