Athlete of the Week

Some athletes at Yale make the varsity squad. Some make the starting line-up. Some make first team All-Ivy. But very few athletes are recognized as All-Nation and go on to represent their country at the world championships for their sport. Rowing prodigy Eric Feins, BK '03, however, did just that.

HYORIM SUH/YH Hometown: Rochester, N.Y. Major: EP&E Favorite book: Catch-22 Favorite sport to watch: Ice Hockey Favorite food: When you are dieting, everything is your favorite food. Favorite class at Yale: Intro to Ethics Favorite color: Blue

Why was he chosen to row for the U.S. Senior National lightweight eight squad? Put simply, he is addicted to his sport. Since September of last year, Eric has taken only one week off from rowing. He rowed all through last season and over the summer, taking only days off after the World Rowing Championships before coming back to school and starting up on the Yale squad on the first day of classes.

After rowing through July and competing at the Henley Royal Regatta for the Bulldogs, Feins went straight to Princeton, where the invitation-only national team tryouts were held. It was at Princeton where he was chosen for the senior team and he trained for worlds. Finally, in mid-August, he helped his eight-man boat to a third-place finish against all of the other countries competing at world championships.

Of course, only a truly great athlete would be able to compete at the level Feins did over the summer: of the three different national teams, Eric was chosen for the senior team, the highest and most prestigious.

Feins has a double-pronged explanation for why he loves his crazy rowing schedule. One reason is that he is thankful to even have the opportunity to row, and he hasn't forgotten how lucky he is to do it. His high school didn't have a rowing team; in fact, he started one with his parents' help during his junior year. He rowed in his first official race during his senior year (and his parents still run the rowing program at his high school four years later).

While he credits his parents and his coaches at Yale for giving him the opportunity to row, it is clear that it is an opportunity he had a large part in making for himself.

Second, Feins talks about the friendships he has made on the team. "It's the incredible guys on the team who make it all so fun—eight guys who depend on each other in the water and are great friends out of it," he said. "It's a whole different level of friendship."

No matter the reasons, Feins certainly gives as much to rowing as he seems to be getting back. When he is not on the water, he can be found practicing on the ergometers, lifting, or working to keep his body as close as possible to the 155-lb. average required.

In return, he experienced an undefeated regular season last year and helped his teammates win the Eastern Sprints on top of his individual success over the summer. Not too shabby for a guy who had to start his own team just a few years ago.

—Katie Cole

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