Oct. 13, 2006

Throughout the season, members of the UNC rowing team will provide TarHeelBlue.com readers with an inside look at the Carolina program and the experience of being a varsity athlete at UNC. This installment, the fifth of the 2006-07 school year, is by Cari Gleisner, a sophomore from Greensboro, N.C.

Thinking about what to write, I decided that what is new in Carolina rowing this week is team building. This week, especially in today's practice we learned our most important aspect is not our strength or speed, yet it is the bond that brings us together in the attainment of a common goal. The goal for this year's program is to make a lasting imprint in what will soon be the history of Carolina rowing, so that one day we can all look back and know that we are the reason that Carolina rowing has established a legacy. This task requires us to give our all... together.

Excellence is not about being the best; it's about doing your best. The attainment of excellence is not about winning; rather it is about having no regrets. Not regretting a single piece, a single stroke, or a single breath. It's about moving forward in a fashion that permits and motivates others to follow you, to push you and hold you accountable when you can no longer move through the pain. Pain is just a reminder that there is something more important at hand. This goal will not be painless, it will take a lot of work but as a team we are making the commitment and we hope all of you will support us on our journey.