It’s when she’s racing out on the water that U.S. Olympic rower Kristi Wagner doesn’t want the moment to end.
Wagner, a world class athlete and former rower of the Wayland-Weston Rowing Association (WWRA), came to Wayland High School (WHS) on Tuesday, Oct. 28, to share her journey from being a small-town rower to an Olympian. Wagner has competed in both the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Her career is also decorated with multiple World Cup medals and a bronze medal finish at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. Now, Wagner is training in hopes of competing for the Team USA again in 2028.
“[Wagner’s story] was very interesting because it showed how people from our town and from our team can go very far,” WHS senior and Wayland-Weston rower Ashley Maddocks said.
Growing up, Wagner’s family was full of Boston sports fans, which she said initially drove her love for competition and victory.
“That’s kind of where I think my love of sports and winning and all of that stuff came from,” Wagner said. “But, then I definitely channeled that in rowing.”
After competing in sports such as soccer, baseball, swimming and basketball in her youth, rowing was the one sport that ultimately stuck with Wagner, as she developed an intense passion for crew. Wagner referred to the rowing environment as a “very special community.”
“I think the rowing community is very inviting and welcoming,” Wagner said. “When you meet other people that row, they’re really excited to meet you and excited to talk about rowing.”
Wagner continued her rowing career at Yale University, where she said the WWRA had a major role in preparing her for success.
“Having the high school experience I did, I was much better prepared than a lot of other people to balance rowing and school,” Wagner said.
Balancing academics with sports can be difficult for some high school student athletes. According to the National Library of Medicine, about 91% of high school athletes experience some level of stress, the majority coming from fear of failure and self pressure. For Wagner, it was important to be careful to not let rowing completely take over her life and have fun experiencing other activities.
“I really appreciated how she seemed to not take things too seriously,” WHS junior and Wayland-Weston rower Max Gynn said. “I think it’s really easy to fall into that trap of obsession for the sport, and I appreciated how she took it as a portion of her life and not the entire focus.”
During her career, Wagner has experienced victories, setbacks and moments that she wishes could have gone differently. However, Wagner emphasizes that it’s okay to be upset over a loss, adding that it’s just as important to keep going afterwards.
“It’s not about falling down, it’s about how you get up,” Wagner said. “I’ve definitely learned so much about resilience from rowing.”