Rowing combines high-intensity cardio with flexibility and requires a group of individuals to row in perfect unison against the elements in a narrow singular crew shell. It’s a sport centered entirely around teamwork and pushing yourself as hard as you can for as long as you can for the person in front of and behind you. Georgia Tech Crew (GT Crew) is one of the 40 competitive sport clubs available through Campus Recreation (CRC) who compete inter-collegiately. Join us for a conversation with Galvin Brady, GT Crew president and fourth-year materials science engineering student as we learn more about what makes this program a top tier sport club at the CRC and nationally.

Q. Can you tell us about GT Crew?

A. GT Crew was officially chartered in 1986 and has since grown from a team of four to a team of 90+ athletes, making it one of the largest club sports at Georgia Tech. Also, the team consistently earns medals at the Dad Vail and American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) national championship regattas. While many of our rowers were competitive high school athletes, more than 90 percent of our team had no previous experience prior to joining GT Crew. With the desire and dedication to learn the sport, they are trained by our expert coaches and often end up national champions.

Q. What are some reasons for joining GT Crew?

A. A common misconception is that people join crew to get strong arms. On the contrary, rowing is primarily a leg sport, which provides a whole-body workout experience. While getting in the best shape of your life is a great reason to join, the opportunities to join a close-knit team, push yourself to new limits, create life-long friendships, and represent Georgia Tech around the country at national championship regattas are why most people join GT Crew.

Q. As a member of GT Crew, do you have a favorite memory or experience?

A. At the end of my second year, I competed in the Dad Vail National Championship Regatta in the coxless pair. After placing first in the time trial and winning our semifinal race by less than a second, the stage was set for a very intense and exciting final. As we came into the final 500 meters of the race, I looked over and noticed that we were in third place. This wasn’t good enough. We called our sprint finish early and snuck into first on the last stroke, coming across the line less than half a second ahead of the second-place crew. It was the perfect way to cap off a season of early mornings, hard practices, and lots of time on the water.

Q. What are some recent GT Crew successes?

A. We had three boats race at the Head of the Charles, the largest rowing regatta in the world (“more than 8,800 athletes, coming from 16 countries and 36 states”) and one of those crews won gold in their event. We also raced as a whole team at the Head of the Hooch this past fall, which is another huge and respected race. Three crews won gold, one silver, and three bronze. We came second in points among the 62 college clubs that were there. We also won the ACC points trophy. We are also traveling to Augusta, GA, for our final major race of the semester, Head of the South.

Q. How Can Students Join GT Crew?

A. Our recruiting period takes place during the first two weeks of each semester. We host several recruitment meetings during that time which anyone can attend. There, you will learn about the team and the sport and can sign up. We are still determining the time of those meetings for this coming spring, but they will be posted on gtcrew.com by the end of the semester! We will also be tabling and handing out fliers during the recruitment period, so stop by and say hello!

Learn more about joining a CRC sport club at crc.gatech.edu/clubs.