I have seen the sun rise high above a crew of eight in unison 140 times. For two quarters of my Stanford undergraduate experience, I have been a member of Stanford Rowing and with each passing sun rise came such an incredible consistency and willingness amongst the group to better themselves within the boat and the classroom. I have been, and to this day am, incredibly fortunate to surround myself with a group of men and women who continually challenge me to grow in my athletic and academic pursuits. As a recent freshman, I was able to see the team, all at once, with a fresh set of eyes. Every day I saw incredible physicists, mechanical engineers, political scientists, amazing artists and stand-up comedians, activists and educators, dear friends, competitive teammates, and outstanding mentors. This team provided an escape from the often-hectic workload at Stanford, an escape into a passion I could execute at the highest level. Stanford Rowing is a great microcosm for what the greater Stanford community has to offer, a team which Stanford and its athletic department should be championing instead of casting aside. I have blistered my hands and strained mind and muscle for what is ultimately very little glory. Instead, I pull for all those who wake up before the sun and before most of our peers, to go move mountains on the water. Stanford, all I ask is for the opportunity to do so at the highest level and for many more sunrises — Stanford Rowing does not shrink to success and neither should you.
-Porter Weisberg, Class of 2023
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