Dear Washington: Haley Stoker
6/5/2023
A letter to UW written by Washington Women's Rowing senior Haley Stoker
Dear Washington,
Thank you for some of the best years of my life. After four years of competing at the collegiate level, no one will understand the commitment and grit it takes to be a Woman of Washington on the rowing team until they do it themselves. Waking up at 5 am, rowing 20km in the middle of freezing January mornings, and testing our physical limits every Wednesday afternoon have challenged me. However, the most important and lifelong lesson I have learned from this program is how to be a true team player.
Waking up at 5 am, rowing 20km in the middle of freezing January mornings, and testing our physical limits every Wednesday afternoon have challenged me.
I have poured every ounce of myself into this sport and I can’t wait to watch and mentor the following women who plan to do the same. Being a part of a historically successful program, you must build perspective to embrace the little moments truly.
There were a couple of themes our team followed in the four years I have been on the team:
“Thank You”: This was during the 2020-2021 season, our first season back following COVID. Constantly screaming “thank you” before and after every hard workout was honoring every woman who came back to elevate each other and our program and being able to do so during such a hard time in our world.
“All of us or none of us”: During the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. Whether you are up or down on the competition or in the first varsity 8 or second freshman 8, every woman on the team was asked to recognize everyone putting in the hours on this team. This is the most powerful move every UW boat class makes in the race. It is understanding and embracing that everything we do would be impossible without each other.
This is the most powerful move every UW boat class makes in the race. It is understanding and embracing that everything we do would be impossible without each other.
My time at the University of Washington has been challenging and humbling. I have created relationships that will genuinely last a lifetime and gained skills that will make me a powerhouse in the professional world. I am so incredibly grateful to call myself a Woman of Washington forever.
Go Dawgs!
Love,
Haley Stoker