2026 STANFORD WOMEN SENIOR REFLECTION
Heather Schmidt ‘26
I can almost see it. That dream I'm dreaming.
Before the 2022–2023 academic year, Stanford Women’s Rowing had finished as the NCAA runner-up two years in a row. As freshmen, we took for granted our ability to win our conference and progress onto NCAAs, not fully appreciating the path that got us there. Thanks to Derek’s many history lessons, we’ve come to understand how the dedication of our predecessors opened this opportunity for us. Seven of us rowed in NCAA lineups that season, helping us to secure the 2023 national title. This victory marked SWC’s first team national championship since 2009.
Hoping to leave that same legacy for the women who come after us, we led by example: every member of the Class of 2026 has been in the NCAA racing squad at least once. We have accomplished two NCAA team Championships, two runner-up finishes, and four conference championships during our time here. Yet what I remember most about NCAAs each year is not what the exact lineup was, but the belief, trust, and love for the entire team.
Yet there's a voice inside my head saying, you'll never reach it… But I gotta keep trying. Gotta keep my head held high.
However, as we have learned in our four years at Stanford, winning a national championship will not make hardship easier. Every member of this class has faced setbacks since our 2023 national championship, yet we met every one of them together. We have each felt the love this team offers, grown from it, and poured it right back into others. Not just embracing the journey, but also helping each other through it.
My most defining challenge came during junior year. While nearing a full recovery from a fractured rib, I was admitted to Stanford Hospital in April 2025 with a rare muscle injury. The very next day, the team flew across the country for a race. Left behind in a quiet hospital room, I received countless messages and calls that made my days brighter. Nonetheless, I spent nights barely sleeping, missing my friends, and barely able to walk.
As soon as the team landed at SFO late on Sunday night, my entire grade came over to surprise me in the hospital. I didn’t even ask them to. They showed up knowing I missed and needed them. They brought gifts and decorations for the room. I slept much better that night.
There's always going to be another mountain. I'm always going to want to make it move. It's always going to be an uphill battle; sometimes I'm going to have to lose.
From personal experience, boats go faster when we feel the support of those around us. My recovery was built on that very foundation. This team, and the class of 2026 in particular, taught me that so much speed is unlocked the moment you realize the women around you truly believe in you. Standing on the NCAA podium just over a year after being hospitalized would have been an impossible dream without the seniors and the team holding that belief for us all.
Our rowing speaks for itself, and so does the joy we bring each day. Eventually, the NCAA trophies on my shelves may collect dust. But I will always remember what it felt like to grow, dance, and race alongside the most hardworking, inspiring, and intelligent women I have ever known. Thank you, SWC, for giving me the best friends I could have possibly asked for. Thank you to the coaching staff for firstly recruiting us, then helping us grow as athletes and people. You sure do know how to pick ‘em.
Ain't about how fast you get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side:
It's the climb.
I hope every person finds their own class of 2026— people that love and believe in you endlessly. Kat, Alice, Nora, Abbey, Annika, Carolyn, Susie, Elli, and Ellie: Thank you. I wouldn’t have wanted to climb with anyone else.
