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Grace Garverick Reflects on Shortened 2020 Season
6/12/2020 10:46:00 AM | Rowing
DURHAM, N.C. -- The Duke Rowing spring season ended abruptly on March 12, when the university suspended all athletic activities due to the spread of COVID-19. With heightened expectations coming off of a silver-medal showing at last year's ACC Championship, the program on the rise had to come to terms with the reality that this team, with all 47 of its current members, would likely not row together again. After over two months of being at home in Sacramento, Calif., away from her teammates, senior team captain Grace Garverick took time to reflect on the lost season.Â
March 12, 2020 is a date I will never forget. I watched my coach, someone who is usually so tough, cry as she told us our season was done. Just like that, it was over. I felt at such a loss. In those initial moments, I felt like letting out a scream and just crying. At that moment, I was not thinking about myself, but about the team, my friends, my fellow seniors, and how much work we had put in building up to this season. This was our year, and we knew it. I was so especially proud to be a part of this team this year. Thinking about what we had just lost – potentially our first ACC Championship with our fastest and most cohesive team to date – crushed me.
It would be easy to be mad, and for a while, I was. I was mad that something we had worked so hard for was so quickly stripped away without notice. But the good thing about anger and frustration, is that you can channel it into motivation, and that's what I've seen this team do these past few months. This team was already close, but with such unexpected and unprecedented loss, I've seen this team grow closer than ever. We've cried in front of each other, we've been mad, we've been honest and vulnerable, and from that we've built. We're going to keep building no matter what life throws our way.
My Dad always says you have to accept reality on reality's terms. Sitting on that bus ride back from the boathouse after we were told our season was canceled, I was faced with the reality that I may never row again. I realized that I had to be okay with that, that I had to know all the work this team and myself put in these last four years was worth it. I knew whatever team my seniors and I would be leaving behind, was a team better than when we first came in as freshman. That was something to be proud of.Â
I thought back to all those early morning wake ups, all those bus rides to and from Lake Michie, loudly singing songs with my teammates on the bus ride post Saturday practice, dinners shared at Training Table, all those erg tests where we pushed ourselves to exhaustion, runs around the Washington Duke trail, and just constantly laughing with some of my best friends. If you were to ask me 'Was it worth it?' I know exactly what my answer would be. Yes, yes it was worth it. Of course it was worth it. I got to spend over 20 hours a week with some of my best friends.Â
Yet, in all this loss and sadness, I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm lucky that I got to be on such an amazing team. I'm lucky to have attended such an amazing school like Duke. I'm lucky that I have made a home away from home in Durham. I'm lucky to have met other student-athletes and created relationships that have become some of the most important in my life. I was lucky I had the honor of being captain my senior year. And I'm lucky that I was accepted into Duke's Fuqua School of Business and have one more shot at that championship ring.
This pandemic has taught me to be grateful for everything. Every moment spent with my teammates, my classmates, my professors – those mattered. Every detail or moment, no matter how small, will always be special. I've realized I can't take any day for granted, because just like that day in the boathouse in March, situations can change in an instant. No matter what life will throw at me next, I know I can handle it. Through this team, I was built for this – we were built for this. We were built to deal with adversity and come out stronger. In all the uncertainty of these past few months, I have held on to what I know to be certain, that because of this team, I have an amazing support system.Â
The NCAA announced that it granted another year of eligibility for all spring sport athletes. For me, that means a shot at redemption. It means another year of early mornings, hard workouts, bus rides, and laughs, and it will never be taken for granted. People always want to know your 'why' – what's your reasoning for doing something, what drives you. My answer to that is simple. My 'why' is this program. This program has given me so much over these past four years, it's only fair that I give it my all until the very end. In every sense of the word, I will be forever Duke.Â
Thank you to everyone who made my Duke experience so memorable. Thank you to the coaches, the professors, and the academic staff. Mostly, thank you to my amazing teammates – this next year is for you guys. Until the next chapter begins...GO DUKE!
-Grace Garverick
#GoDuke
Â
March 12, 2020 is a date I will never forget. I watched my coach, someone who is usually so tough, cry as she told us our season was done. Just like that, it was over. I felt at such a loss. In those initial moments, I felt like letting out a scream and just crying. At that moment, I was not thinking about myself, but about the team, my friends, my fellow seniors, and how much work we had put in building up to this season. This was our year, and we knew it. I was so especially proud to be a part of this team this year. Thinking about what we had just lost – potentially our first ACC Championship with our fastest and most cohesive team to date – crushed me.
It would be easy to be mad, and for a while, I was. I was mad that something we had worked so hard for was so quickly stripped away without notice. But the good thing about anger and frustration, is that you can channel it into motivation, and that's what I've seen this team do these past few months. This team was already close, but with such unexpected and unprecedented loss, I've seen this team grow closer than ever. We've cried in front of each other, we've been mad, we've been honest and vulnerable, and from that we've built. We're going to keep building no matter what life throws our way.
My Dad always says you have to accept reality on reality's terms. Sitting on that bus ride back from the boathouse after we were told our season was canceled, I was faced with the reality that I may never row again. I realized that I had to be okay with that, that I had to know all the work this team and myself put in these last four years was worth it. I knew whatever team my seniors and I would be leaving behind, was a team better than when we first came in as freshman. That was something to be proud of.Â
I thought back to all those early morning wake ups, all those bus rides to and from Lake Michie, loudly singing songs with my teammates on the bus ride post Saturday practice, dinners shared at Training Table, all those erg tests where we pushed ourselves to exhaustion, runs around the Washington Duke trail, and just constantly laughing with some of my best friends. If you were to ask me 'Was it worth it?' I know exactly what my answer would be. Yes, yes it was worth it. Of course it was worth it. I got to spend over 20 hours a week with some of my best friends.Â
Yet, in all this loss and sadness, I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm lucky that I got to be on such an amazing team. I'm lucky to have attended such an amazing school like Duke. I'm lucky that I have made a home away from home in Durham. I'm lucky to have met other student-athletes and created relationships that have become some of the most important in my life. I was lucky I had the honor of being captain my senior year. And I'm lucky that I was accepted into Duke's Fuqua School of Business and have one more shot at that championship ring.
This pandemic has taught me to be grateful for everything. Every moment spent with my teammates, my classmates, my professors – those mattered. Every detail or moment, no matter how small, will always be special. I've realized I can't take any day for granted, because just like that day in the boathouse in March, situations can change in an instant. No matter what life will throw at me next, I know I can handle it. Through this team, I was built for this – we were built for this. We were built to deal with adversity and come out stronger. In all the uncertainty of these past few months, I have held on to what I know to be certain, that because of this team, I have an amazing support system.Â
The NCAA announced that it granted another year of eligibility for all spring sport athletes. For me, that means a shot at redemption. It means another year of early mornings, hard workouts, bus rides, and laughs, and it will never be taken for granted. People always want to know your 'why' – what's your reasoning for doing something, what drives you. My answer to that is simple. My 'why' is this program. This program has given me so much over these past four years, it's only fair that I give it my all until the very end. In every sense of the word, I will be forever Duke.Â
Thank you to everyone who made my Duke experience so memorable. Thank you to the coaches, the professors, and the academic staff. Mostly, thank you to my amazing teammates – this next year is for you guys. Until the next chapter begins...GO DUKE!
-Grace Garverick
#GoDuke
Â
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