Athlete Spotlight: Anna McGinley
The first time UCMC ever truly met Rising Junior and Coxswain, Anna McGinley, she had no shame sharing her passions. She (almost literally) wore her hobbies and interests on her sleeve. On her first day of practice in the early Spring of 2023, she walked into the Ratcliffe Hicks training arena with a hen in her arms. She also loves crocheting. Sometimes, she gives her fellow teammates unprompted gifts, crocheted just for them!
Those eccentricities are not her only defining traits, she also loves to give back to her community, deciding to return to her local high school, E. O. Smith, in order to coach youth looking to get into rowing. We asked Anna about her experience coaching and her opinions on what this community means to her.
Just as any teaching job will help the students, the teacher will also come to attain a greater understanding of what they are attempting to communicate. “I’ve learned so much about the sport itself, be it the equipment, technique, how to teach it, and even quite a bit about myself.”
Taking on these roles seem intimidating, but Anna displays a textbook example of adaptability and readiness.
“Before I started coaching I had little confidence in myself as a coxswain but teaching the high schoolers taught me that I actually know more than I thought I did.”
“I also didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life but now I know that I want to work somewhere in education.” She even goes as far as calling her job a newfound passion! “I even hope to become a head coach somewhere someday because I love it so much. It has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done.”
When asked about a specific example of a particularly rewarding moment, Anna shared a touching story: “The first time a boat that I taught won a race, I was waiting for them on the dock crying because of how happy I was.”
It's no wonder why Anna is such a beloved figure in the world of rowing at Coventry Lake! We are so lucky to have her as an athlete on our team!
Stay tuned in and keep a lookout for our next Newsletter. We will be following up with a proper introduction to UCMC’s new head coach, Logan McClennen!
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