Heather Shinn
Squad
About Heather Shinn
Where did you learn to row and who was your first coach?
Oakland Strokes, California, Allison Ray.
Explain your earliest memory of The Boat Race
I was a sophomore in college on a coach back from a race. One of my teammates pulled up The Boat Race on her phone and we all gathered around excited to watch on the small screen.
Do you relish in hours in the gym and miles in the dark, or do you live for race days?
Race days will always and forever be my favorite. As a coxswain, I find it the most satisfying when I am able to execute a race, or part of a race, better than I've practiced it.
What's the secret to managing elite-level sport with studying at one of the top universities in the world?
Staying grounded and appreciative has always served me well. My coach at Boston University, Malcolm Doldron, would often say "it's a privilege and a choice to be here". Each day I show up remembering that I have chosen to be on the team and that it's an opportunity very few people get to experience. With intense schedules it's easy to get overwhelmed, but I remind myself that it's supposed to be hard. Attending a top university while competing at an elite-level supposed to be a challenge and finding a way to stay on top of both fields is exciting and demands consistency.
