The following is a spotlight on Elizabeth Rowland, one of two 2023 George Washington University nominees for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award. The Atlantic 10 institutions nominated a total of 17 outstanding student-athletes for the award (READ MORE). The A-10 will spotlight each of the institutional nominees.

Elizabeth Rowland Profile

Elizabeth Rowland was named the Lynn George Outstanding Senior Female Student-Athlete at GW. She also won the Determination, Committment and Respect Teammate Award and the Arthur D. Chase Award at GW. She helped George Washington rowing to its first-ever Atlantic 10 title in 2023, earning All-Conference Second Team honors. Her athletic accomplishments also encompass international competition, with three top-three placements in the Canadian Henley Regatta. In 2022 she was a U23 Women's National Team Selection Participant and had a third-place finish at US Rowing trials. She was a Vesper U23 athlete in 2022, and Arion U23 athlete in 2021 and a PBC athlete in 2020.

Rowland graduated from GW this year Summa Cum Laude, earned the HWS Deans Scholarship and was

a four-time Dean's List Honoree and Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection. She also was named to the A-10 Rowing All-Academic Team and a CRCA Scholar Athlete.

She is also an active leader, serving as the Intenral Vice President and Event Coordinator for the GW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and she participated in the LEAPP, the GW leadership academy and was a member of the GW Racially and Ethnically Mixed Student Association. She also interned with Senator Susan Collins and was a member of the Public Leadership Education Network.

Her volunteer work includes working with Be the Match, Tidal Basin cleanup with the National Park Service, Youthworks!, Smithsonian Transcription Center, Public Leader and the Craftsbury Outdoor Center.

Q & A

What was the hardest obstacle you faced as a student-athlete?

Injury. My whole senior year I dealt with an overuse injury in my right elbow, and towards the end of my spring season a torn disc in my lower back. The tennis elbow that I had developed was compounded by an underlying structural issue in the joint (which I resolved through surgery post-season) and also tearing my forearm muscle at one point in preseason training.

I spent several hours each week at physical therapy, bouncing between doctors appointments, and incorporating activation exercises into my warm-up and cool-downs for each training session in order to tolerate the volume and intensity. While these injuries were manageable and I thankfully was able to still compete in spite of them, my mental health and performance fluctuated from time to time depending on how my body was feeling. Learning to listen to my body and communicate my needs with coaching staff and athletic trainers became the foundation for finding success despite my limitations.

What are three words your teammates would use to describe you, and why?

A leader: Sitting in the stern of the boat this past season meant being the bridge of communication between the rowers and the coxswain. Raising my voice helped bring our boat to work together and have fun competing.

Compassionate: I care for my teammates deeply and know that success can only be measured as far as we reach together. Rowing at the collegiate level is probably the most team oriented sport at this level, no one stands out with personal records or fancy maneuvers on the race course. Helping my teammates succeed is a shared accomplishment.

Competitive: One of our program’s core values is “own your role in your own success.” I think a great example of manifesting this was whenever we had to sit ready to begin rowing at practice. Whether we were steady stating or lining up for piece work– I was always on top of ensuring my boat was never the one to start down relative to the field.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? The worst?

Best Advice: Decisions can feel big and scary. Find comfort in that there isn’t a wrong or right choice in the decisions you get to make– just a choice.

Worst Advice: Don't worry, it will figure itself out.

What was your favorite class/professor and why?

Transitional Justice with Professor Elvira-Maria Restrepo

This was my favorite class because Professor Retrepo’s passion and expertise in global peacebuilding and conflict resolution have inspired me to pursue similar interests in my own career. Her particular focus on Colombia and its continuing implementation of the 2016 peace accords that ended five decades of conflict with the country’s main guerilla force, is particularly meaningful to me as I am half-Colombian. I hope to contribute to the ongoing democracy, peacebuilding, and humanitarian aid work in the western hemisphere.

What is something you wish more people knew about you?

My interest in art!

My art practice is a process for sharing my life experiences, finding my own truth amidst those experiences, and (re)envisioning social circumstances. I enjoy working in colored pencils, oil paints, and occasionally printmaking processes like lino or screens. In my work, I tell stories, using colors to emphasize the beauty of moments. I also raise various issues and morph them into what ideally inspires society to reconsider their perspectives. My main themes are personal identity and politics. I draw most of my inspiration from my experiences, and the stories I find that I would like to rewrite. Landscape also figures prominently as an investigation of place.

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

• Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro
  
• Living and working in Latin America for at least a year
  
• Going to graduate school in England and rowing competitively
  

What do you think is the most important issue for student-athletes today?

Student-athletes often experience so much pressure that it affects their mental health and overall development. The competitive nature of sports places immense expectations on athletes. Additionally, the fear of looking weak is pervasive among student-athletes. This fear stems from a competitive culture that values strength and resilience, making it difficult for athletes to openly discuss their struggles or seek help. The fear of being cut or benched if they admit to struggling amplifies this pressure, as athletes worry about losing their position or opportunities. Furthermore, student-athletes often struggle in silence due to the expectations of perfectionism. The pursuit of perfection can lead to excessive self-criticism, anxiety, and burnout. Many athletes hesitate to acknowledge their struggles, fearing judgment or perceived weakness, which only exacerbates their mental health challenges. Despite the extensive knowledge of the intense environment and pressures student-athletes live in, they often receive insufficient support to cope with the demands they face. Providing adequate support systems, educating coaches and staff on mental health and well-being, promoting a culture that values open dialogue about struggles, and challenging the notion of perfectionism will allow student-athletes to thrive and develop into well-rounded individuals.