Senior Spotlight: ANGELINA CAMPANILE

Hometown: Yonkers, NY

Majors: Journalism and Political Science

Minor: Legal Studies

Port or Starboard: Bisweptual

Favorite seat in the boat: Bow

What did you do in high school?  How and why did you join Northwestern Crew?

I started rowing sophomore year of high school not because I had any interest in rowing, but because I wanted to stay in shape for varsity soccer. My best friend at the time rowed so she said “Come train with us over the winter at CrossFit” I sat down on an erg, I rip the fattest 2K, and I always said “why would anyone in the world want to do this every day? This is awful.” And they said “You got to get in the boat and you'll see why. It's worth it.” So I stuck along, did the burpees and the squats and the CrossFit nonsense, and then I sat my butt down in a boat when spring came along, and I said oh, this is kind of cool. I like this. So I stuck with it.

Fast forward to college. I didn't know anybody around and the one thing that was familiar to me was crew. So I reached out to the team before I even got on campus, and the second I stepped foot on campus, I texted the team captain and I said, “Hey, I'm here,” AKA, “Be my friend.” We started playing frisbee on Deering Lawn as my parents unpacked all my stuff, and that was that.

What’s your favorite memory from being on the team?

I think my favorite memory is when we did karaoke after our banquet my freshman year. Everyone on the team went to go sing karaoke, and we just all had so much fun singing and screaming together. Rowing-wise, my favorite moment was when I was in a four this past fall with Olivia stroking, and then Jane and Harper. We were all obviously sad for not making Head of the Charles so we all had something to prove. We just put our all into that race in Iowa. You could just tell we all just put everything into that head race. I remember finishing and I couldn't breathe, everything hurts so bad. And then when we medalled, it was such a great moment because you know, we just we did it. 

What was your first impression of the team and of the sport?

A bunch of weirdos, and I knew that I was a weirdo too, so it would work out. 

What’s been your biggest struggle or difficulty on the team?

I think for me personally, especially in high school and my freshman and sophomore year, I put rowing above literally everything. I've learned more to balance it because at the end of the day, I'm not going to be an Olympic rower. Whether it's going out with friends or just taking a practice off to kind of rejuvenate, it's okay. It's not the end of the world. The number on the monitor has always been a lot of anxiety for me, because I put a lot of pressure on myself, both with school and rowing. So just reminding myself that, as long as I'm trying my best and pulling for my teammates, that's all I could do. 

What’s your favorite part of regattas?

Can I just say regatta naps are some of the best naps I've taken in my life? When you layer up after your race and then you fall asleep on the tarp that we have on the floor, those naps are regatta naps. Also in the race and watching races, the last 500 meters when you hear the cowbells and everyone is cheering, I love that because that's when you see the athletes really kick it up a notch and then pass the line.

What’s been the most rewarding part of crew for you?

When you feel that glide across the water, those moments are everything. When you hear the little swirlies underneath the boat. I'm talking about if you're finally set, and you're getting bang for your buck when you're rowing, you hear these swirlies underneath the boat, that is the best feeling ever because you know that you're moving. I guess it's rewarding when those moments come along, even if it's for five or 10 strokes, appreciating the little moments on the water.

What has crew taught you?

It's the ultimate team sport, period, full stop. So above all it’s taught me that when I'm doing things, it's bigger than myself. It's for my teammates. The boat is only as fast as the slowest person, so you do things for your team and use think about people other than yourself. I'd say the biggest thing is also that it's taught me that my body is capable of a lot more than I think it is, it's just my mind that stops me from doing things.

How do you stay motivated and how are you currently staying motivated?

I would say I stay motivated for my teammates, that's what it comes down to at the end of the day. If you don't want to do the workouts and you're not doing it, you're only hurting your team, that's it. I love this sport, there's nothing like it, and I hope to be rowing myself down the lagoon at home at 95 years old, God-willing, I last that long.

What will you miss the most?

I think one really unique thing about NU Crew is literally the majority of the team has never rowed before.  Everyone comes in without any rowing experience, and I love watching the improvement from people who have never rowed [and seeing] how quick the learning curve is. I think I'll miss most just seeing the novices come in and seeing them actually get it or seeing a new rower finding that send or finally getting the stroke.