By Sofie Kato, news correspondent
After years of 5 a.m. wake up calls and 20-22 hours a week of training, Northeastern fifth-year business management and entrepreneurship major Madison Mailey dreamed of rowing with her idols.
At this year’s world championship, she was not only able to compete but come home with a silver medal.
“I think I love rowing because it is the ultimate team sport and because it holds you accountable. Every time you train past your breaking point you see change,” Mailey said.
Mailey said she has been rowing since 8th grade. Her older brother was on the high school team and convinced her to try out.
“Rowing teaches really good time management skills,” Mailey said. “Even in my high school days, I was forced to prioritize school, rowing and eating nutritiously if I wanted to succeed. Doing all of this and waking up at 5 a.m. every morning really taught me to use my time efficiently.”
Representing her home country of Canada, Mailey went through two to three practices a day for several months over the summer in some of the most intense training she said she has been through.
In the first heat of the competition, her team placed last. After some adjustments to the lineup and their spirits, they were able to “come together to be a real medal contender.”
The winner of both heats automatically advanced to the finals while the rest of the teams competed in the repechage for a top-four placement to secure a spot in the A final. Mailey’s team placed third in their rep, giving them a spot in the A final but in an unfavored lane. Despite this, they were able to come out of the competition with a silver medal.
“We had to trust ourselves and each other to know that we were strong and fit enough to be on the podium. Our hearts were full when silver medals were placed around our necks and we honestly couldn’t be more proud of each other to be on the podium after starting from the bottom,” Mailey said.
Mailey received the Northeastern Athletics’ President Award, the Women’s Rowing Most Outstanding Competitor Award and the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Second Team All-American Award. She has also helped NU to four straight CAA titles and appearances at the NCAA championships.
“My coaches always told me to focus on the process, collaboration, teamwork and hard work over the end result. It is not about leaving a regatta with a medal around your neck but rather the process and people it took to get there,” Mailey said.
After a much needed break from her year-round rowing schedule, Mailey has begun training and getting her body in shape. She will begin training with the U.S. National Team after she graduates in December. She said her ultimate goal is to compete in the Olympics, but right now she is focused on finishing school and securing the foundation to pursue a career in the investment industry.
“With rowing, what you give is what you get. Most people tend to overdo it either mentally or physically at this level of athleticism. Trust the process and try not to overthink every workout because it gets draining,” Mailey said.
In addition to winning silver in 2018, Mailey also held the best time in the U23 women’s eight at the 2017 World Championships (6:00.130).
During her summers, she returns home to Canada to train, and looks forward to moving back permanently after she graduates. She reminisced about this training and the feelings it evoked as she reached for her next goal.
“Rowing is a sport where we spend hours and thousands of kilometers training to only race for six minutes,” Mailey said. “When you’re sitting in a boat that is 58 feet long and can be as narrow as 15 inches across with eight other people and one thing is off, it can be catastrophic. It is a magical feeling sitting at the finish line when things have gone well. It really makes you feel as though the long hours and tough mornings really paid off.”
