As the junior national team heads to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for the 2006 FISA World Rowing Junior Championships, 17-year-old Lindsay Meyer prepares to race the world’s best junior scullers in the women’s single sculls event. After winning gold in the intermediate and senior single sculls and silver in the elite/open single sculls at the 2006 USRowing National Championships, Meyer should be a tough competitor in Amsterdam.
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Meyer has been surrounded by rowing for most of her life. As a former rower, Meyer’s mother initially persuaded her to begin rowing. “It’s all her fault,” joked Meyer. “She taught me how to row.” Meyer first learned to scull in 2003 when she began training with Lake Union Crew. From there, she moved to Holy Names Academy, where she entered her first year of high school. As part of the Holy Names team, Meyer transitioned from sculling to sweep rowing, focusing on eights and fours. During the two years in which Meyer rowed at Holy Names, she continually felt a need to return to sculling. “I always loved the single,” explained Meyer. “I wanted to see what I could do with it.”
Wanting to take her rowing career to the next level, Meyer once again changed clubs, this time moving to the Pocock Elite Sculling Team. With a world-class reputation for training elite rowers, Pocock seemed like the perfect place for Meyer to develop.
Under the direction of Conal Groom and Emil Kossev, Meyer continued to develop both in strength and technical training, making her more prepared for elite competition. In 2005, her training paid off with an invitation to the U.S. Junior Women’s Development Camp, with whom she won two gold medals at the 2005 USRowing National Championships. Her medal quest continued when she represented the United States at the 2005 CanAmMex Games and won gold in the women’s eight and women’s quadruple sculls.
The national and international elite racing experience helped Meyer become confident in her strength and racing ability. As final preparation for this year’s junior world championships, Meyer competed in the intermediate, senior, and elite/open single sculls at the 2006 USRowing National Championships. With a total of seven races, including heats, semifinals, and finals, Meyer used the event to get the feel of racing into her muscles.
“Going down the course so many times has gotten me to a new level in both physical and mental preparation,” Meyer said. Competing against older athletes at the elite level should prove useful for Meyer as it gives her a chance to race against better, more experienced competition before heading to Amsterdam.
On the tail end of her victories at the national championships, Meyer will spend one week training in Amsterdam before competition begins. While Meyer said she has no problem “getting into the zone” before a race, she will use the time to physically prepare herself. “For me, there’s not a whole lot of mental preparation,” explained Meyer. “I just make sure I have everything I need to race.” Despite the long journey to Amsterdam, she loves travelling to compete. For Meyer, the experience of racing is an exciting adventure. “You can be at the same regatta in the same venue, and it can still be different.”
With heats starting on August 2, Meyer is anxious to begin racing. “I look forward to the competition and seeing where I place,” she said. In addition, she is excited to meet rowers from all over the world. “All the teams are staying in one hotel, so it’s a great way to meet new people who I will probably continue racing against,” said Meyer.
Outside of racing, Meyer is looking forward to exploring The Netherlands and seeing all that Amsterdam has to offer. Meyer, whose mother has been travelling with her to nationals and the junior world trials, also is looking forward to seeing her younger brother, who has been studying in China for the past year, when he accompanies her father to the event. Meyer’s family has been extremely supportive of her rowing career, with her mother attending every regatta in which she’s competed. Without the support and inspiration from her family, Meyer said she would have never accomplished all that she has in the sport.
As the competition nears, Meyer has received nothing but support from the rowing community. With Meyer’s own coach, Conal Groom, unable to accompany her to Amsterdam, Oakland Strokes coach Derek Byrnes stepped in. Byrnes was her coach during the U.S. junior women’s development camp and her connection and familiarity with him made the change an easy fit. “Personality wise, Derek is a lot like Conal,” Meyer explained. In addition to Byrnes, Liz Trond, coach of the U.S. junior women’s pair and Meyer’s coach from the 2005 CanAmMex Games, is in full support of Meyer’s athletic pursuits, often referring to her as “Meyer, Meyer pants on fire.” With her extensive support system and strong performance record at past national and international regattas, Meyer is well prepared to compete against the best junior rowers in the world.