SEBASTIAN, Fla. — It's one of the oldest Olympic sports, and considered one of the most physically demanding to compete in.
Yet rowing probably wasn't the first or even second sport that came to your mind.
Still, rowing is making its mark here at home, and a group of middle and high school athletes in Indian River County row themselves to victory year after year.
"The amount of rowers that were on all these different national teams that trained here at some point in their careers," said head coach Tom Lange. "I think Yale had 10 rowers that were competing for other countries? Yeah, they all rowed here."
Lange stands atop a boat near the shore of Canal 54, calling out guidance to his athletes as they row between the reed-lined banks.
"Woo hoo! Good job, five and six!" he shouts encouragingly to his female athletes racing through shrouded shrubbery.
"Stern pair, add in!" shouts the coxswain, the crewmember who does not row but directs the boat. "That's one, that's two!"
Reporter Kate Hussey watched from the sidelines in awe as the group of nine unrelenting young women row furiously through the canal, making it almost look easy.
"They just row really, really hard. They go for broke," said Lange.
Indeed, they do. Since launching the league in 2006, Sebastian River Rowing teams have taken home 24 state championships, and last year, Lange said the girl's varsity team placed third in nationals.
"And all of those girls went on to row in college," said Lange. "We've sent over 25 kids on scholarship to college and over $2 million in athletic scholarships handed out. So yeah, its pretty crazy."
Especially when you consider the difficulty of the sport, which is estimated to utilize about 86% of muscles in the body.
"You use every possible muscle except probably your calves," said 11th grader Madison Engle. "Honestly, your abs too, just like, everything really!"
For Engle and her teammates, that hard work pays off.
"You, like, work so hard during the race and once the race is over and you cross that [finish] line and you know you got first, it's such an amazing feeling," said 11th grader Sasha Hepler.
"Probably the best feeling I'll ever feel in my life," said senior Kris Waters.
Waters and senior Jaden Watkins have been rowing since eighth grade.
"It's the most challenging sport I've ever done," said Watkins.
The two young men said they're inspired by the Olympians they watched this summer, many of whom trained on these very same canals.
"I counted 23, from all countries that actually rode here," said Lange.
"I hope someday I can be in that kind of competition," said Waters.
It's that ambition that will steer these graduating seniors to victory, even beyond the boundaries of the canals they call their home court.
"When you look at the alumni that we have, you know, doctors, lawyers, business owners, they work really, really hard because that's what they learn here," said Lange.
Lange just hopes that hard work isn't hidden by the reeds they row through.
"No one really knows about us," said Lange. "I walk around Sebastian and how many people say, 'I didn't even know you had a team!' Well, we've won 24 state championships and we say things like that and they're so surprised. So just any kind of light we can bring on our team and our sport because we're here."
The rowing teams' season is now fully underway, with championships coming up in April.
Lange is expanding the programs, adding club, scholastic, and masters rowing and this year constructed a second boathouse. He's looking to complete a third building along with an outdoor area to include a shaded area to store equipment, conduct workouts, and act as a gathering point for the team.
He's hoping to expand the programs and recruit more athletes, and offers programs for middle school students up through adults.
To get involved, you can head here.
