PAUSE AT THE RELEASE: Dana Urbanek
Pause at the Release: Dana Urbanek
On Racing at the San Diego Crew Classic
April 11, 2011
Tulsa, Okla. -
Pause at the Release is our periodic feature in which we highlight the perspective of one of our student-athletes. In these articles, the athletes share their personal experiences as part of the Golden Hurricane team with our wonderful supporters and community members. Here, you'll find the backstage story on TU Women's Rowing, told through the eyes of the athletes themselves. Check back often to see updates from more of your favorite rowers and coxswains.
Dana Urbanek on Racing at the San Diego Crew Classic
Being in San Diego with your teammates is a great feeling. There is no other team that I would want to be running along the beaches, looking at the clear water, and having sand between my toes with. My team is my family and to experience California with your family is amazing. Looking out a plane window and seeing mountains with snow and relaxing your muscles in the water is great, but doing it with your family makes it a completely new experience. We laughed, smiled, ate and had some great times. Eating frozen yogurt, making jokes, and bonding in the California sun was wonderful. However, we were there for something bigger, we were there to race, and that is just what we did!
Racing in San Diego in the Crew Classic is a huge experience that I am very grateful to have. Being in the V8 with women who are just as competitive as I am is a feeling that cannot be described. Our heat in the Cal Cup was an aggressive race. I remember coming off that starting line looking across the playing field and seeing my boat down. I took a deep breath and told my rowers to "sit up, relax, and be confident, we are going to do this" within the first 20 stokes I knew my rowers were pushing Tulsa's bow ball ahead. It was a tight race. I had adrenaline running through my veins the whole time. As we crossed the last 500m I knew deep down there was nothing stopping the eight girls in front of me from wining that heat, and we did! As exciting and aggressive as the heat was I was ready to turn my boat around and head back to the start to race our final!
On Racing at the San Diego Crew Classic
April 11, 2011
Tulsa, Okla. -
Pause at the Release is our periodic feature in which we highlight the perspective of one of our student-athletes. In these articles, the athletes share their personal experiences as part of the Golden Hurricane team with our wonderful supporters and community members. Here, you'll find the backstage story on TU Women's Rowing, told through the eyes of the athletes themselves. Check back often to see updates from more of your favorite rowers and coxswains.
Dana Urbanek on Racing at the San Diego Crew Classic
Being in San Diego with your teammates is a great feeling. There is no other team that I would want to be running along the beaches, looking at the clear water, and having sand between my toes with. My team is my family and to experience California with your family is amazing. Looking out a plane window and seeing mountains with snow and relaxing your muscles in the water is great, but doing it with your family makes it a completely new experience. We laughed, smiled, ate and had some great times. Eating frozen yogurt, making jokes, and bonding in the California sun was wonderful. However, we were there for something bigger, we were there to race, and that is just what we did!
Racing in San Diego in the Crew Classic is a huge experience that I am very grateful to have. Being in the V8 with women who are just as competitive as I am is a feeling that cannot be described. Our heat in the Cal Cup was an aggressive race. I remember coming off that starting line looking across the playing field and seeing my boat down. I took a deep breath and told my rowers to "sit up, relax, and be confident, we are going to do this" within the first 20 stokes I knew my rowers were pushing Tulsa's bow ball ahead. It was a tight race. I had adrenaline running through my veins the whole time. As we crossed the last 500m I knew deep down there was nothing stopping the eight girls in front of me from wining that heat, and we did! As exciting and aggressive as the heat was I was ready to turn my boat around and head back to the start to race our final!