MADISON, Wis. — For the first time in over 30 years, four University of Wisconsin-Madison Women’s Rowing alumnae are competing in the Olympics.

What You Need To Know

  • Lauren O’Connor, Grace Joyce, Maddie Wanamaker and Sophia Vitas all competed in this year's games. That makes 21 UW Women rowers who have competed in the Olympics

  • The women's team has won 22 National Championships

  • One current athlete hopes the Olympics gets more people excited about rowing

Lauren O’Connor, Grace Joyce, Maddie Wanamaker and Sophia Vitas all competed in this year's games. That makes 21 UW Women rowers who have competed in the Olympics.

Walking through Porter Boathouse on UW-Madison’s campus, rising junior Sophia Gruenling is surrounded by evidence of greatness.

Olympic rings grace many of the boats there, named after the former athletes who achieved the honor.

“They put in the same work that we did,” Gruenling said. “They use the same facilities and they showed us what's really possible.”

Like many on the Badgers Rowing team, Gruenling was a walk-on her freshman year and did not have much experience with rowing.

Now, she said she can’t imagine life without this sport.

“You really learn that the things that you can control, like the effort that you put in and the attitude that you bring every day, will really make you successful when things that aren't controllable don't go your way,” she said.

Jim Mitchell is the associate head coach. In his nine years in Madison, he has kept the strong rowing tradition at UW going. That includes winning 22 National Championships.

He’s coached all four of the former Badgers women on the Olympic team this year.

“I was watching them on TV, you know, and it's just amazing and really cool,” Mitchell said. “But the best part is, I got to see them from the beginning and you know, see their growth over time.”the 

Mitchell hopes seeing these former Badgers compete on the global stage is encouraging for future recruits and those who row in general.

“Maybe seeing it on the Olympics and actually seeing people from Wisconsin that might think, 'Oh, I can do that,'” he said. “And they come and give it a try.”

Gruenling said while she’d love to compete in the Olympics someday, for now she’s just taking things day by day.

She said watching four women who were once in her position is inspiring.

“Seeing women do it before you and those that are older than you and bringing a lot of elegance and poise to the sport along with being ferocious competitors is really something that I think younger girls will look up to and take away from that just like I did as a kid,” Gruenling said.

Related Stories