Senior biology major Hannah Dahlem has combined her athletic talent and leadership capabilities in her role as the coxswain for the varsity eight boat. She joined the rowing team at the program’s beginning and has maintained a commitment to both her team and the boat since. Last spring, she was named to the WCC all conference team. Dahlem is from Buckley, Wash.
What is your role as the coxswain?
The simplest way to put it is that we are like a coach in the boat. My main focus is safety. I am responsible for my boat and the girls in it. I steer for turns and to make sure we don’t collide with anything. Also, I motivate and encourage while we are rowing. I can critique and give instant feedback because where I am sitting I can see each oar coming out of the water. Rowing is unbelievably exhausting, so a huge part of my role is just to keep the energy high.
Why did rowing interest you and how did you become a coxswain?
I had never rowed before college and had no idea really what rowing was. However, I had been on teams all my life and I realized I really missed that dynamic. So I went out and I started as a rower. Then I got injured, and they were basically like ‘Well you are pretty little, how about you be a coxswain.’ It turned out to be the perfect niche role for me. These past three years have been so unbelievably special.
What kind of leadership skills have you learned from your role as coxswain?
I think the biggest thing is just being really receptive to feedback. Every rower is different. Some may want to be called out and respond to a certain type of motivator while others may want something else. It has really helped me realize that a truly good leader responds to what most improves their team’s performance, not what they personally think is best. Embrace all the criticism and feedback and work to find something that works for everybody.
What do you think is special about rowing?
It truly takes every member of the group to finish. You could have the fastest eight rowers in a boat, but if you are out of sync mentally with one another your boat is going to still perform terribly. It’s an incredible amount of teamwork and trust. It takes everyone together in a profound way to achieve great things.
Do you feel like you now have a special relationship with water from rowing?
Being on the water is like nothing else. Obviously getting up in the morning is so hard sometimes, but once you get down on the water it’s just instantly relaxing. No one else is awake; it’s just the team and incredible solitude. It’s just a feeling you can’t really describe.
Do you have a pre-regatta routine?
I like to focus on the other girls in my boat. I ask them all how they are doing and just make sure everybody feels ready for the upcoming row. I like to be a rock for the girls in my boat. Just having everybody else being ready makes me ready.
What kinds of things do you like to do outside of rowing and school?
I work full-time as an EMT. So I spend a lot of my time doing that. When I am not working I have an internship at Emanuel Hospital in the Trauma Center. I spend a lot of my time in hospitals I guess. When I am not doing that however, I really love the outdoors. I love to rock climb, hike and downhill ski. I did a triathlon earlier this year and the warrior dash. I also like to travel a lot. I am just an active person. Oh, I guess I hang out with my boyfriend too.
With your clear passion for health care, do you have plans to pursue that in the future?
I have been an EMT for the past three years and I’ve just been building up patient care hours so I can apply to physician’s assistant (PA) school once I graduate. I eventually plan, once I am a PA, to work with something like Doctors without Borders so I can combine my passion for travel with my passion for medicine.
