FINDING SPEED AND PURPOSE

Senior oarswoman Nora Goodwillie ’26 reflects on her journey from Chicago Rowing Foundation to NCAA championships at Stanford and her final season on the Farm.

The Rowing Association (TRA) sits down with Goodwillie to discuss her journey to Stanford, her leadership on and off the water, and what lies ahead after graduation.

Nora Goodwillie is a current senior on the women’s rowing team. Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Nora is a Human Biology major here at Stanford and is three-for-three at the NCAA championships in the women’s 2V8. Prior to her time at Stanford, she led the Chicago Rowing Foundation to a national championship in the women’s 8+ in 2022 and the USA to two world championships in the women’s 8+ in 2021 and 2022.

TRA: How’d you get started with rowing?

Being from Chicago, rowing was a sport that was very uncommon when I first started. I was first introduced to rowing through a family friend who suggested I try it out — I was tall and had unsuccessfully tried out many of the other sports popular for tall girls. So, the summer going into my 8th grade, I participated in a rowing camp through The Chicago Rowing Foundation (CRF) and immediately fell in love with the sport and the CRF community. I continued to row with CRF throughout my entire high school rowing career.

TRA: What made you decide to attend Stanford?

I have said this since I was recruited to Stanford: there is no other university in this world where you can participate in such a high-caliber and successful team, while also receiving the distinguished academics Stanford provides. But not only are the rowing and academics exceptional, the people make the place so special.

TRA: Outside of rowing, what do you like to do?

Outside of rowing and academics, I am passionate about sustainability on campus, particularly as it pertains to athletics. I am the co-president of Student Athletes for Sustainability, an organization that promotes sustainable action within the athletic community, and have also been a course assistant for Stanford's Sustainability in Athletics course for the past four years. My junior year, I also participated in a year-long Living Laboratory Fellowship through Stanford's Office of Sustainability in collaboration with the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER). As a fellow, I worked to create a 3–5 year "masterplan" to improve sustainability operations and infrastructure for DAPER.

What’s been your most memorable race and why?

My most memorable race was the NCAA finals my sophomore year. I was stroking the 2V8+ in Cincinnati, Ohio. The first reason why this race was so memorable was because I raced my regional regattas in high school at this course. It was very nostalgic to be back at that course with my entire family there supporting me. Secondly, this was the closest, most exciting race I have ever raced in my entire rowing career. Throughout my Stanford career, Texas has been one of our biggest competitors, and this race was no different. We were favored to win after the heat results, so we were the crew to beat. We were lined up next to Texas and were trading bow balls throughout the entire first 1500 meters of the race — we were within half a seat of one another throughout the entire race up until this point. Texas started to sprint at the 1500-meter mark, so we followed suit. My coxswain called our sprint, and within seconds, we started taking seats. By the end of the race, we finished almost a whole boat-length up on that crew and won the championship race. I have never had so much trust and confidence in a sprint than with that boat and in that race.

Favorite Stanford memory?

My favorite Stanford memory was going to the Royal Henley Regatta and racing for Stanford. This was my freshman year, so I was super excited to be given the opportunity to represent Stanford on an international scale. The most memorable part was being able to spend so much quality time with my teammates; whether it was cooking together in the house, exploring the town of Henley, or meeting other people at the course, we had such a good time all together. Racing at Henley is also an incredibly exceptional and memorable experience. Both learning about the history of the race and experiencing the excitement surrounding the race was also so incredibly cool and an honor to be able to represent Stanford there.

You’ve had some success, to say the least, during your three years competing for the Cardinal. Where’s your head at going into this final year on the Farm?

There is obviously a ton of excitement going into this year after winning last year, but our sights are on winning again. As a senior class, we are trying to channel that excitement into energy and motivation; we want to be confident, but not overly confident. We want Stanford Women's Crew to be a dominant force within the rowing world long after we leave the team, to lay out the foundation for those to come, and leave a legacy to remember. Although a personal goal of mine is also to win, I also want to enjoy my final moments on the Farm and show my younger teammates how special this place is if you buy into it. Being able to enjoy your time at Stanford will inevitably lead you to success, both in rowing and your post-collegiate rowing career.

Any advice to those just starting their rowing careers and thinking about rowing in college?

Some advice I would have to those just starting their rowing careers is to stay open-minded, lean on the people around you, and have fun with it. The same thing goes for when thinking about college recruiting; college recruiting is very competitive, requiring patience and optimism — you do not have to jump at the first offer you are given, as other opportunities will come.

What are you studying at Stanford, and do you have any plans after graduation?

At Stanford, I am studying Human Biology with concentrations in Health Policy and Human Performance. As of now, I am planning on moving to Boston, working in Corporate Finance and Strategy.