Former Hawkeye gymnast Tessa Walsh has hung up her leotard and traded the balance beam and bars for boats and oars.
By Megan Sprengeler
Hawkeye junior Tessa Walsh has decided to leave her gymnastics days behind and listen to the call of the water; she will pursue a new sport at the Division1 level: rowing.
After working to make a full recovery following a handful of taxing injuries, Walsh knew her days as a college gymnast were numbered.
The Naperville, Illinois, native initially chose Iowa to continue gymnastics and education after falling in love with the contagious Hawkeye spirit that immerses the charming college town of Iowa City.
A computer-science major, Walsh came to Iowa, following in her mother’s and father’s footsteps.
Daunting as it may seem, the former gymnast is eager to tackle the new challenge.
“Being a Hawkeye means a lot to me, and staying at Iowa was the only option,” Walsh said. “I was literally jumping into this sport not knowing a thing about it. I love taking on new challenges, and rowing was the perfect opportunity to try something new and exciting. It’s been an awesome experience so far, and I’m very excited to continue rowing and learning all about the sport.”
The squad has trained vigorously this summer as part of a U.S. rowing pipeline U23 selection camp, set to race internationally at the Canadian Henley Regatta Aug. 6-13.
Though summer poses as a good transition phase, Walsh joins the team at, perhaps, one of the most difficult times of the year — the team is training in small, one-person or two-person boats, which are tougher to stabilize.
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“The Iowa rowing family has been so welcoming to me this summer,” Walsh said. “I love being outside on the water. The coaches have been great, giving me the opportunity to try different things, even in my first few weeks. Rowing is an intense, physical sport, and I’m enjoying pushing myself to catch up with my new teammates.”
With obvious differences between the two sports, Walsh has found her bearings and begun to reclaim her balance in an entirely new atmosphere.
Though obstacles may be lurking, she is not one to shy away from challenge and adversity.
“Even though gymnastics is considered a team sport, it is also very much an individual sport,” Walsh said. “Everyone does her own routine, one person at a time. Whereas in rowing, you must be in perfect sync with everyone in the boat. The biggest challenge so far is making sure that I’m in sync with everyone around me.”
Upon the conclusion of the Henley Regatta, the Hawkeyes will resume normal training in mid-August to prepare for their fall regatta schedule.
Walsh joins the squad after its impressive run this past spring, landing a 15th-place finish at the National Championships in West Windsor, New Jersey.
“I’m excited to take on this challenge,” Walsh said. “And because Iowa rowing is coming off a successful season, I’m looking forward to the chance to be part of something great here. All of the hard work at practice makes it all worthwhile; there truly are no fans like Hawkeye fans.”