NO EXPERIENCE, NO LIMITS
Walk-on oarsman James Fetter ‘25 talks about learning to row at Stanford, stroking the 1V for Big Row, and future plans with Oxford and US Rowing.
The Rowing Association (TRA) catches up with James Fetter ‘25 as he graduates and readies for life after Stanford.
Fetter was a Palo Alto kid who swam and ran in high school, but had never touched an oar. That changed his freshman year, when he jumped on an erg, intent to walk on with Stanford Rowing. Below are his thoughts on a four-year journey that included learning to row, cycling when Men’s Rowing was shut down, balancing rowing with an engineering degree, and performing as an accomplished pianist. James didn’t just learn to row, though; he rose to the Stanford 1V, represented the US at U23 Worlds in the single sculls, and now prepares to compete for Oxford.
TRA: Tell us how you ended up rowing for Stanford?
Fetter: I was an incoming freshman seeking a sport, and my older sister had walked on with Stanford Women's Rowing a couple of years earlier, so I looked to do the same. The team was cut before I got the chance, however, so I started riding with plans to join the cycling or triathlon club. When I heard that Stanford was reinstating the team, I was excited because I knew the team was missing a recruiting class, thinking that even if I was a terrible rower, they would take me. I remember having a call with Coach Niles and being super excited to start training with the team.
TRA: So, your first rowing stroke ever was as a Stanford frosh, while most of the team had rowed prior to Stanford. What was that like?
Fetter: It was a huge challenge. My first time in a rowing boat was at Stanford, where everyone else had been rowing for years. There is nothing worse than rowing in a boat that is crashing all over the place, knowing it is you who is the disruption. My saving grace was that almost immediately, I could produce good power on the erg. I would take solace after a bad practice on the water by seeing my name towards the top of the rankings when we did ergs.
Managing the stress of learning a new sport while balancing new classes and being a freshman was a lot of work. The experience helped me become more comfortable managing high-performance environments.
TRA: Learning to row can be frustrating. When did you know it was working for you?
Fetter: I only really started to understand how to make a boat go fast after my sophomore year, when I spent the summer learning to row the single sculls. The hardest part about learning to row in 8’s is that you have very little feedback on how your actions affect the set or the speed of the boat. In the 1x, there is no ambiguity about who is causing disruption. This immediate feedback loop allowed me to learn how I could best make the boat go fast. After six weeks of training in Oakland with California Rowing Club, I raced at the Canadian Henley, where I finished 3rd in the U23 single.
That summer was one of the first times I felt proud of my performance on the water. This confidence carried me into a much better junior year, where I made the varsity 8 for the first time in my career. The following summer, I did a rinse and repeat of the summer before, only with higher stakes. I qualified for the US U23 team in the single sculls and raced at the 2024 World Rowing U23 championships, where I finished 8th overall.
TRA: Rowing in big boats takes great teamwork. How did you feel teamwork evolved with this crew over your 4 years?
Fetter: My ability to work together with the other guys in the crew started when I felt confident in my own ability to make boats go fast. I honestly feel like my senior year was the first year where I wasn’t constantly thinking about my own rowing and could finally follow and respond to what the crew was doing around me. For that reason, this past year has been the most rewarding.
As a freshman, I remember looking up to some of the seniors on the team, guys like James Wright and Peter Chatain, and being inspired by their talent and commitment. My goal at Stanford was always to provide a role model for the younger guys so that they could be inspired in the same way I was as a freshman. I feel like I completed that goal, which leaves me very satisfied with my career at Stanford.
TRA: So, you went from walk-on to stroking the 1V for Big Row. How did it feel lining up for that race?
Fetter: Quite honestly, none of the races in my senior year would even crack the top 10 for the most stressful races of my career. When you are confident in your preparation and your ability, all there is to do on raceday is to go out and execute what you practice every day.
I remember far more races from my first three years at Stanford, where I was absolutely terrified at the start line, precisely because I lacked confidence in my preparation. One of my first-ever collegiate races was in the second varsity against Washington in Seattle. After rowing on the Montlake cut with only 6 months of experience, the threshold for what qualifies as a scary race becomes a lot higher.
TRA: How did you balance being a Stanford student with rowing?
Fetter: Growing up, I was lucky to have parents who provided me with opportunities to pursue school, music, and athletics. My upbringing prepared me for the rigor I faced at Stanford, and so for the most part, school wasn’t too difficult to manage. I think the hardest part was being consistent all 12 quarters. It was easy to focus when things were going well; the most important part was bringing continued energy week after week so as not to fall behind. I feel fortunate to have learned so much during my time at Stanford, both in music and engineering.
TRA: Is there a particular race you’ll always remember?
Fetter: I’ll always remember my most painful loss and most rewarding victory during my time at Stanford. My most painful loss was during the Repechage of the 2023 IRA in the 2V8. We had just come off a poor morning performance in the heat, and we were eager to prove that we belonged in the A/B semifinal. We attacked the race from the start, gaining nearly a boat length lead over Cornell, our main opponent in that race. It was a blisteringly hot summer day in New Jersey, and going into the last 500 meters of the race, I started to feel my whole body go numb. Inch by inch, Cornell moved through us to win the rep and send us to the C/D semis. I felt personally responsible, and I felt like I had let the other eight guys in the boat down. I wondered if I should just quit the sport entirely, but ultimately, this race gave me the resolve to never let my teammates down like that again.
My most rewarding victory was the 2025 dual win against Syracuse in the varsity 8 at Redwood Shores. This may feel like an odd choice, especially given that the previous day we had beaten #3-ranked Brown by open water. On paper, the Brown race was a much more impressive result. But after a disappointing loss to Yale the day before, I was so proud of how the crew managed to regroup and beat a very good Syracuse team, both in the varsity and the second varsity. There was a lot of additional baggage that this race carried for the team and me, so bringing 18 Syracuse shirts back to The Farm was immensely gratifying.
TRA: We understand you’re headed to Oxford in the Fall and looking to earn a spot in The Boat Race. We also hear Coach Teti is looking to get you into the CRC mix. Tell us about Oxford and your future rowing ambitions?
Fetter: I’ve always enjoyed managing projects and working with lots of people. So I feel very excited about starting the MBA program at Oxford this fall. I’ve enjoyed the electrical engineering curriculum at Stanford, and I think the MBA will be a nice change of scenery, in terms of both the location and coursework.
I’ve rowed the past two summers under Mike Teti and Skip Kielt, the two coaches at California Rowing Club. Rowing the single over the summer has been critical to my development. I’m not exactly sure what my plans are for after the Oxford MBA, but I’m definitely excited about making a run for the LA 2028 Olympics. As someone who never imagined they’d be representing Stanford as an athlete, it would be cool to do it at the international level.
