Cat Levine, Reporter
@catcourant
Sydney’s palms rapidly grab at the oars as she races with nearby boats for the 2k. Her coxswain begins to shout loudly to “250 to the end we sprint here” and “empty your tanks” as they grow closer to the crowd of faces surrounding the finish line.
Sydney Kend, a sophomore at NCHS, is on the varsity rowing team at Saugatuck boathouse. This year, Sydney competed in the World Indoor Rowing Championships at Boston University, placing 16th out of 260 with a time of 7:19.1 in her 2k. Since then, Sydney has dropped her 2k time by 10 seconds to an impressive time of 7:10. She also participated in the San Diego Crew Classics, one of the triple crowns for youth national rowing, placing second in the 2V category. Along with crew, Sydney is the president of the Stock Club, and a member of Human Rights Advocates, Model UN, and Debate.
Just like other student athletes at NCHS, Sydney has learned from experience that although staying up late isn’t the best option, sometimes it’s necessary. “I’ve done the ‘stay up till 2:30’, the ‘less than 5 hours of sleep but I finished the notes’, and my personal favorite ‘I’m cramming this in the free before, but at least it will be done’,” she said. “Balancing success is a lot of give and take and doing your best to keep your head above the ocean of life.”
Sydney stays motivated to hand in quality work, even with a full schedule, by appreciating her teachers. “All of my teachers put a lot of effort into my education, and while sometimes school can be overwhelming, I recognize that I should return the favor and try my best to cooperate and learn to succeed.”
As one of the captains of the Stock Club, Sydney organizes teams in order to play a game which simulates the real stock market. “People can make real life investments with fake money, and will experience the effects of the actual stock market,” she said. “In order to have a successful job in the investment sector you need to understand how the system works and so we help to give a glimpse on the world in terms of finance.”
In addition to her dedicated performance in crew, Sydney is also a devout member of the Model UN club. “Model UN college conferences are normally from 3-4 days so it’s hard to make time between rowing and school work,” she said. “In January I went to YMUN instead of attending a regatta weekend, and although my coach wasn’t too happy, the experience was definitely worthwhile!
Emily Hernberg, Sydney’s honors sophomore english teacher, sees Sydney as a dynamic and energetic person that influences her peers to participate during class. “Sydney is a very positive person, and that positivity is contagious,” she said. “She treats everyone around her with the utmost respect and is a good role model for her peers.”
Sydney puts her workload into perspective by reflecting on her goals and what she can do to obtain them. “Just like everyone else, I have my dreams in going to
certain schools, and I know that if I don’t put the time and work in, I will never be able to achieve those dreams,” she
said. “While the world of academics is very competitive, if you can get a head start in anyway possible, I’d recommend it.”
Mike O’Hare, the Saugatuck Novice Coach, trained for hours a day seven times a week with her last year, and noticed Sydney go out of her way to improve her rowing skills.. “Sydney seeks out coaches and teammates to get help or advice which helps her set and achieve her goals. I have told the girls I coach to watch Sydney and to try to take a page from her book. It really is a big key to success, not just in rowing, but in life.”
In addition to her coaches, family, and friends, Sydney’s bond with her team motivates her to try her best during regattas. “The Saugatuck team is practically family to me, and I understand that everyone is depending on me, the same way I’m depending on them; if I ever let them down, I let myself down,” she said. “Everyone is so encouraging, they always cheer you on throughout your pieces, no matter how much it hurts. It’s nice to know that everyone has your back, is willing to hold the trash can after your piece, and will cox you until the end.”
Through her devotion to clubs such as Model UN and the Human Rights Advocates, Ms. Hernberg has high hopes for Sydney’s future. “I see her in a diplomatic role or maybe even in a Non profit, making the world a better place, and working her butt off to do it.”
Coach O’Hare is confident that Sydney will make it far during and after college with her rowing skills. “I hope rowing takes Sydney on to the Division 1 level and beyond. She is a natural leader because she leads by example, and any college program would be truly lucky to have her sign with them.”
After competing in the San Diego Crew Classics, Sydney recognizes the work that she has put in and will continue to do in order to improve her times. “Yes, training for crew really hurts; you hate it when your hands bleed, it stinks when you throw up after a workout, and it really doesn’t feel good when your coach says you’re doing 5k, but knowing that you have made it to the end means that you have accomplished something the majority of people could never even dream of. In short, if you want that seat in your dream boat, all you have to do is work for it.”
