While most seniors were spending their summers preparing for their college applications or enjoying the sun, seniors Erin Gray, Brandon Levy and Mark Levinson represented their nation in global rowing competitions.

Gray and Levy were both chosen to train for the The CanAmMex Regatta, an eight day long regatta held in Mexico City during July 6-13. The competition included Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Levinson was one of 27 junior men selected to race in the 2015 World Rowing Junior Championships at Lagoa Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

CanAmMex

Just days after finishing competitions for their club team, Marin Rowing, in Sarasota, Florida, Gray and Levy attended tryouts for a junior national rowing team.

The two endured three weeks of tryouts and training, Gray in Connecticut and Levy in Pittsburgh. At the end of the three weeks they were eventually selected to take part in the 2015 CanAmMex Regatta in Mexico City, Mexico.

The competition was held from Jul 6-13 at the 1968 Olympic venue, Virgilio Uribe, which sits 7,382 feet above sea level, causing for a few complications for some of the US Rowers. According to USRowing at least three junior men passed out in their boats on the first day alone.

But the altitude didn’t stop Gray and Levy. Gray’s women’s four seat and eight seat boats won both gold medals and Levy was the coxswain for a gold medal winning eight boat.  

“I still can’t believe that we won,” Gray said, “I think for me going there and not even expecting to make a boat and then actually going to Mexico and winning, I still can’t get over it.”

Rio

After hearing stories from his coach about previous US teams being crushed at the World Rowing Junior Championships, Levinson was scared of what the competition was going to be like, but he had confidence that his team wouldn’t be like past years.

The men’s eight boat placed second to the Netherlands, and was able to prevent Germany from being back to back World Champions.

“Our coach before the race told us that if we can’t get first secure your spot in second, so that is what we did,” Levinson said. “For the last 500 meters we were already being walked through (completely passed) by the Netherlands so we maintained our strong rhythm and made sure Germany didn’t pass us at the finish line.”

The opportunity to compete at the World Junior Championships has been a dream of Levinson’s ever since he started rowing.

“It was not something I expected, but I am honored to have been part of that team and represent our country,” Levinson said. “I have always looked up to the guys I have know that have competed at Worlds and so I think they have been very good role models.”  

Throughout the summer, Levinson’s fellow teammates created a humorous Instagram account, @jntsweepbros, to chronicled their journey to Rio. The account included full bios of each team member with matching candid photos and pictures of the team competing (and eating) their way to Rio.

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All three plan on continuing to row after they complete high school and Gray and Levy aspire to compete at the 2016 World Championship Regatta in the Netherlands next summer. Currently none of the rowers have yet to committed to compete in college.