W. rowing: A rower’s tale: from novice to co-captain

Next time you grab a flier on Bruin Walk it might change your
life.

Junior Monica Grova had no idea what women’s rowing was,
or even that it was a varsity sport at UCLA until she was stopped
by some rowers early in her freshman year.

The obscurity of rowing intrigued Grova, who had never rowed
before. In spite of the anonymity and the early morning wake-up
calls, the former Santa Cruz High basketball and volleyball
standout decided to try out.

“The first day we were running sprints, weight training,
and people were walking out all over the place,” Grova
said. “But I loved it from the beginning.”

Grova became one of the 40 women who joined coach Amy
Fuller’s program for its inaugural varsity season in
2002.

A two-year varsity starboard, Grova has risen from an
inexperienced novice in her freshman year to become one of the
team’s top varsity rowers. 

The fact that Grova had never rowed before was not a detriment
to her for long. Rowing is not offered at most high schools on the
West Coast, so she was on equal footing with nearly all her fellow
Bruins.

While many of her closest friends were initially unsupportive of
Grova’s rowing commitment and its rigorous early-morning
practice schedule, Grova enjoyed the competitive challenge of
excelling at a new sport.

“Very few people understand rowing and how I can be a
varsity athlete at UCLA in a sport I never played before,”
she said. “But I can’t imagine my life at UCLA without
rowing at the center of my college experience.”  

Possessing an ideal rower’s build and competitive
background, it was easy for her to adjust to the nuances of the
sport.

Fuller points to Grova’s mental strength as the source of
her unique competitive drive.

“Monica displays all of the qualities that I desire in a
rower,” she said. “She is an intense competitor
and possesses a special win-at-all-costs attitude essential for
continued personal improvement and rowing success.”

Grova’s intensity on the water and in the classroom has
been responsible for her swift rise to the forefront of Pac-10
rowing. She was voted varsity co-captain by her teammates beginning
in 2003, and has posted the team’s top score on the
ergometer, a test of individual rowing strength.

Not only has she excelled on the open water, but she has also
been able to maintain an amazing academic record.  

Having been named to the Director’s Honor Roll every
quarter while on varsity, the pre-med neuroscience student believes
her crew experience helps her continued academic success.

“Rowing teaches you to test your physical and mental
limits by overcoming the intense strain of each race through focus
and determination,” she said.

The importance of teamwork to rowing surpasses any other sport
since success rests upon the speed and power of synchronized
strokes between all members of the crew during a race.  

This makes any extraordinary individual performance part of a
team effort and keeps individual rowers from being recognized
outside of the rowing community.  

Grova enjoys the deep camaraderie that develops between crew
members.  

With no place for arrogance in the sport, Grova’s humble
leadership serves as an inspiration for other teammates such as
junior port Kristin Bixel.

“As captain, Monica makes you work harder to catch up with
her effort,” Bixel said. “She sets the standard for
other rowers on the team.”

While Grova has no plans right now to pursue rowing after
college at the Olympic level, she remains focused on building a
solid foundation for the women’s rowing program for years to
come.  

“It is special being the first varsity class at UCLA and
see the program continue to improve every year. There is no telling
how good we can be in a few years, and I am just glad I can be a
part of its foundation.”