Ok, Here It Goes...
Marley Avritt
6/11/2020
As I look back on my time at UW, and my time on the rowing team, I cannot help but be grateful. My time may have gotten cut a little shorter than I had hoped, but that does not mean it was wasted. The last three and half years have helped me figure out who I am, and who I want to be…and for that, I have to say thank you.
I must say thank you to all of the people who have supported, watched, and even gone on this journey with me to help me become the person I am today.
TO MY PARENTS—
You guys have been there since the beginning, and I literally would not be where I am now if it weren’t for you.
Thank you for encouraging me to start playing sports as a little girl. Because of you, I was able to learn the importance of being on a team, the feeling of setting and then achieving goals, and the pure joy that came with competing at such a young age.
Thank you for helping me manage my sports life when you had so much going on in your own. You helped me get from practice to practice, you made sure I had my favorite breakfast the morning of a competition, you stood in the rain to watch me play, you did your best to make sure I had the right equipment, and somehow you managed to do all of this while maintaining your own professional and personal life. You did everything you could for my success.
Thank you for helping make my college athletic dream a reality. You never doubted the possibility of me getting into the school of my dreams, and you did not shut it down once the financial aspect became a harsh reality. Thank you for helping me figure it out, and thank you for helping me live out my dream.
Thank you for being the ones to celebrate my successes, and thank you for being the ones to comfort my losses. You have always reminded me how proud you are, and you continue to brag about me to anyone who will listen. I have always felt so loved because of the way you constantly cheer for me, win or loss. You taught me that losing does not make me a failure; instead you taught me that giving my everything for something that I love is what makes you a proud parent.
Thank you for always being there. Thank you for giving me every opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. Despite athletics coming to an end, I know the endless love and support will not…and for that, thank you.
TO OUR SUPPORT STAFF—
You guys really are the backbone of this team. Without the help of all of you, I would not be the student, athlete, or person I am today.
Thank you for enabling me to strive for greatness. From the strength and conditioning coaches, to the nutrition team, to the academic services, to the career coaches, to the cleaning crews, to the trainers and team doctors, and to the directors of operations, all you ever did was enable me to be better. Despite not being at practice every day, you all were key players for me, and for the rest of the team. You all did everything you could to help us succeed as people and as athletes.
Thank you for taking care of me when I didn’t even know I needed it. To the laundry man who does our laundry every single day…THANK YOU. Not only did you show up every day to collect our rained-on, sweat-through laundry, but you always smiled while doing it. You took care of something that seems so simple, yet it enabled me to focus on my academics and athletics. To the nutrition team who fuels every student-athlete daily…thank you. Not having to worry about making breakfast or cooking dinner relieved so much stress and time for me to do other things. You guys fueled us in every way we needed, but you also made sure it was what we wanted. Words cannot describe how lucky our team is to have people like you who take care of us on a daily basis.
Thank you for caring about me as an individual outside of sports. Majority of my times spent with most of you was not about being an athlete at all; instead, it was about me as a student picking my class schedule, or me as a junior looking for an internship, or even me trying to get out of a parking ticket. You all cared about me in so many different ways that I always felt supported in whatever I was going through.
Thank you for helping me succeed outside of sports, meanwhile still staying involved in sports. Whenever you guys would wish me good luck before a competition, or congratulations after, I always felt so special. You took the time to help me in so many ways outside of athletics, yet you also took the time to follow up on my athletic career.
Thank you for setting me up for success. You guys have immensely helped me the last couple of years, and for that I am confident going into the next stage of my life. From the guidance, to the career help, and to all of the personal conversations, you all helped me feel ready and able for whatever is next…and for that, thank you.
TO THE COACHES—
You guys always believed that the team, myself included, was capable of accomplishing something much bigger than any one person. Without you, I would not have had the success I did, and I definitely would not be the athlete, or person, I am today.
Thank you for letting me be my true, honest self (especially Josh Gautreau). You guys never tried to change the person I was, the values I held, the dreams I had, or the energy I carried; instead, you worked with me and pushed me to be the best version of myself. Every time I have a wild idea or a crazy dream, I will always remember the way Josh would react to my crazy thoughts: “Dudeee…yes, let’s do it!” You all helped me see who I really was, and who I really could, and wanted to, become.
Thank you for prioritizing the team. You wanted to be seen as a member of the team, not just a staff member or coach of the team. The desire you had to be part of “us” made you prioritize “us” in different lenses. I was able to work with you, not for you, because of the connection you had to the team. There was a mutual standard, respect, and trust that we held for each other. I wanted to be the best athlete and you wanted to be the best coach because we both wanted to be a part of the best team.
Thank you for helping me grow as an athlete, teammate, and leader. Whether it was informing me about the reason of certain drills, showing me the proper way to do something, discussing race plans, constructing new workouts for practice, or planning a team meeting, you helped me every step of the way.
Thank you for helping me succeed in so many ways I never thought possible. I owe all of my success to you guys because of everything you did for me. You made me a better athlete, you prepared me for anything and everything, and you gave me the confidence I never had in myself.
Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for teaching me everything you could about the sport itself, and just about life. While I am no longer on the team, and you are no longer my coaches, I know you will continue to always trust and believe in me…and for that, thank you.
TO MY TEAM—
You guys are my people, my family, and my home. There are not enough words to say what you have all done for me, and how beyond thankful I am for every single person on this team. You are all the reason behind everything I do.
Thank you for trusting me. You welcomed me onto this team with open arms, you never questioned my judgment, and you even trusted me to be a leader on the team. Because of the trust you guys had in me, I was never put in a place where I had second thoughts, questions, or doubts about any of our outcomes. You all trusted me, and I trusted all of you. Because of this natural trust and mutual respect, we were able to focus on the big picture. This trust enabled us to get through the hard times together, and it allowed us to accomplish exceptional things alongside one another.
Thank you for being my everything. You are the people that get me out of bed every morning (physically and mentally), you are the people I turn to when I need help, you are the people who I tell my biggest news to first, you are the people who I laugh the most with, you are the people I cry the most with, you are the people I spend most (if not all) of my time with, you are the people who I relate too, you are the people I can always count on, you are the people I have gone through hardships with, and you are the people that I have achieved extraordinary things with. When I think of my best college memories, you guys are a part of every single one of them.
Thank you for being forever. Every person who has been on this team knows what it means to be a member of this team, and they also know that they will always be a member of this team. You guys are, and always will be, my go-to people, my instant family, and my forever home. This team truly is something special, and I am so lucky to be a part of it…and for that, thank you.
TO YAZ—
You are my game-changer. Not everyone has Yaz specifically to thank, but almost everyone has that one person that changes the game forever. Yaz, you made me learn, appreciate, and love the sport for so much more than it was.
Thank you for seeing something in me when I didn’t even know it was there. You never limited my success and you never stopped pushing me to be a better athlete, a better human-being, a better teammate, a better racer, and a better leader. You pushed me in a way that made me feel challenged, yet capable. You helped me pin-point my weaknesses without making me feel hopeless. You continued to find new ways to help me understand and improve the ways I went about life.
Thank you for teaching me the most important life lesson. Without you, I never would’ve learned the true meaning of competing. You always told me competing was not about beating other people or teams, instead, it was about creating something special with the people on my team. You wanted us all to win, but more importantly, you wanted to us to create something special together that we would never forget. Because of this perspective, I was able to cherish every single day. Instead of thinking about the next race, or how we were going to win, or what we needed to do to beat other teams, I was able to appreciate my team for who they were and what we were doing.
Now knowing I will not get to race the remainder of my spring season, of course I am disappointed and sad; but, I also have no regrets. Every race last year, and the few races this year, I practiced enjoying and creating moments with the team. Because of this, I am able to look back on my time as a member of the team with a smile on my face, and a feeling of fulfillment.
Yaz, you taught me everything I know about the sport, you helped me become the best I could be, and you allowed me to accomplish everything I had ever wanted and never even imagined. You also taught me that life, just like racing, is not about winning; it is about creating special moments with those you love. As I am moving on to the next chapter of my life, I am seeking to create special moments. I know that the most success comes from doing things out of joy with those you love…so that is what I will be trying to do.
Thank you for teaching me this life lesson. Thank you for changing the game (of rowing and life) for me. Thank you for showing me how to create these moments. I have thousands of special moments with you and this team that I will never forget…and for that, thank you.
We are all living in a time of uncertainty right now, and there is very little control we have over many situations. Personally, I am unsure what I will be doing next or where I will even be, but I do know that wherever I end up I will be okay because of how these people (and many more) have positively impacted my life.
Thank you.
THANK YOU FROM ME.
THANK YOU FOR YOU.
THANK YOU ON TWO.
