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Love Of Rowing Leads To World-Class Gold

Tribune photo by JAMIE PILARCZYK

As a member of the U.S. Junior National rowing team, Molly Hamrick helped the women’s 8 win the gold in the 2008 FISA World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships in Austria on July 26.

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 27, 2008

VIRGINIA PARK - Molly Hamrick knows how it feels to win gold.

As a member of the U.S. Junior National rowing team, Hamrick helped the women's eight group win the 2008 FISA World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships in Austria.

Slicing through the Danube River on July 26, the U.S. team beat reigning world champion Romania and top performer Germany. According to USRowing, it was the first gold medal for the United States in the junior women's eight event and the second gold by a U.S. junior women's crew.

"I didn't realize I really had won a gold medal until my bow seat teammate started screaming 'Gold!'" said Hamrick, a Plant High senior. "It was a dream come true."

Her parents, Kathy and Hunter, and brother Hunter Jr., 15, watched the competition via computer in their Virginia Park home, screaming for her the whole time.

"We were just thrilled," Kathy Hunter said. "It was very inspirational. They work so unbelievably hard."

Hamrick participated in a Connecticut selection camp for two weeks in June before moving to Princeton, N.J., for two more weeks of training. Some days called for six hours of practice, which were "really challenging and exhausting."

"At the end of practice, my whole body and legs were shot," said Hamrick, 17.

The team relaxed by watching movies and making friendship bracelets.

"I absolutely love rowing though and wouldn't want to spend my summer doing anything else," she said.

Last year, she won bronze in the women's eight at the Junior World Championships in Beijing.

Hamrick hopes to row and study math, engineering or pre-medicine at Princeton, Yale, the University of Virginia or the University of Michigan.

Her goals include competing in the 2009 FISA world championships and then making the Olympic team in 2012.

"I need a goal to shoot for," Hamrick said.

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 259-7661 or jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com.

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