Crew team member: Chris Myers

By Andrew Dixon
"Chicks dig guys with a big oar," is how senior Chris Myers replies when asked what appeals to him about crew. Since ninth grade Myers has been a reckonable force for crew whose presence is felt both in and out of the water. Physically demanding and often overlooked at as a sport, crew has been Myer's passion since freshman year.
What he lacks in athleticism he makes up with brute strength, charm and handsomeness. The latter of the three has been the source of some problems for Myers this year. "I have to beat women (and sometimes men) off with a stick," said Myers. Never the one to get distracted too easily he remains unfazed by all the extra attention and continues to focus on his studies and respective sport.
Students can often find him running on the side of the road, or on a rowing machine in the hall, just a few things he might do in an afternoon's practice. His drive and tenacity for the sport seems almost unreal given his former reputation. In elementary through middle school, Myers was anything but a stellar student; Abrasive, crude and foul he gained the reputation as a "smelly kid" and "the kid who's going no where." Upon entering high school Myers had gone through a transformation of sorts and suddenly became a super, stellar student. He took on all sorts of projects from after school clubs to football and then, crew.
Although at meets they tend to row in boats most of the time, training and practices include a lot, a lot, of running and dry-land exercises. Dry-land exercises can include sit-ups, push ups, activities with the medicine balls and various other gut busting workouts. When they are out on the water it is all business and non-stop stroking.
Crew has taught Myers many things about discipline and since joining in ninth grade ,his grades have steadily improved to the point where most of his classes are honors classes. He even went so far as to apply to Princeton. After weeks of waiting, however, the letter which would ultimately destroy his dreams of attending the prestigious, arrived. He remained positively spirited and continued on with his sport.
Crew sometimes carries a stigma of not being a real sport or considered as just a bunch of people rowing in boats. Myers will argue that while not as many people get hurt participating, it is very much a sport. "We do some running. We row on the water. We work out on rowing machines and on Tuesday we go to Taco Bell," said Myers. Since he is usually easy going and naturally humorous, Myers' often understates the effort and time every member puts into each season.
Myers had a few choices for colleges he could have attended, ranging from Virginia Tech, Madison and the University of Richmond. His final decision, the University of Richmond. When asked why he replied with, "they offered me 25,000 dollars for tuition." One other thing Myers is certain about is whether or not he will continue crew in college; "No way, I'm not crazy," he said. No, he is definetly not crazy.

By Stephanie Axelrod |  May 18, 2007; 8:59 AM ET
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