10/10/2016 4:05:00 PM | Women's Rowing, Student Athlete, Features
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By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
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The sport of rowing is a marathon, not a sprint. Lehigh rower Julianna Malachin can certainly attest to that.
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Malachin's cousin, Amanda Polk, rowed for Team USA at this summer's Olympics, and Jules was there in Rio to support her and experience the Red, White and Blue winning Gold. The notion of a marathon, not a sprint, was on full display during the United States' final race.
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"They were behind all the way until the halfway mark, then they surged ahead," said Malachin. "My cousin's journey was pretty hard on her, but she showed me that dreams do come true. You just have to get up and do it. The hardest part is remembering that while the physical activity of a race is a sprint, your training leading up to that point is a marathon that allows you to reach your goals."
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Jules has a similar go-getter mindset as her cousin, working hard every day to reach her aspirations. One of Malachin's primary goals is to help build the Mountain Hawks' program, which has steadily improved over the last few years. Lehigh's results haven't jumped off the page, but good things are happening behind the scenes.
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The Mountain Hawks' program understands it's a marathon and building a program is a process.
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"Being the best doesn't just happen one day when you wake up," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "It happens each day in how you walk, act, talk and practice your sport. Becoming a champion is the rarest thing in rowing and in order to do that, you have to believe in the process. There is no particular workout or day of training that makes you a champion, but rather, the effort that is applied each moment the oar enters the water."
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Malachin has seen strong growth in the Lehigh program.
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"Even from freshman to sophomore year, there was a lot of improvement," she said. "There's been almost a momentum shift, a perspective shift and a mindset shift. Growth is the best word to describe it."
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Personally, Malachin also experience a great deal of growth, just by witnessing the Olympics in Rio. The planning began a year in advance, even though at the time, her cousin didn't even know if she would make the team.
"Amanda went to the 2012 Olympics in London as an alternate," said Malachin. "She didn't actually get to row in the boat, but was the backup if someone was injured. Her immediate family went to London, but my mom, sister and I decided if she made it this year, we would go to Rio."
Jules and her family
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Polk didn't find out until around the end of June that she had made the team. All of Malachin's planning was well worth it.
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In advance of the Olympics, Malachin and her family departed in early August and stayed in Rio for approximately 10 days, eventually returning to the United States on Aug. 17.
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Malachin took in the entire Olympic atmosphere.
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"We went to a couple different sports," she said. "Since we bought the tickets early, we didn't know the schedule, so some of the sports we attended like boxing and field hockey didn't feature Team USA. But when you go to the events, it's so surreal and you have goosebumps the entire time. It doesn't matter who is competing; it's just amazing to be there."
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The main event, the reason Malachin was in Rio, was to watch her cousin compete as a member of the United States' Women's Varsity Eight.
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"We were in anticipation the whole day," said Malachin. "Obviously, there were other races going on and we cheered for them, but we were waiting for that moment. I had goosebumps the whole day. I couldn't fathom that this was the Olympics; this was the ultimate stage.
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"When her race time came, all that built-up anticipation and excitement came out."
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Malachin watched the U.S. fall behind, but surge ahead to capture Gold. She learned a lot about rowing from the entire Olympics experience, but also garnered life skills that will stick with her for many years to come.
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"We stayed in Copacabana, which is a pretty nice part of the area, but Rio has a lot of poverty, so it made me really appreciate what we have in the United States," said Malachin. "Even though the people might be poor, they were so welcoming and inviting. They would hug us; they just loved the Americans. Â
"That changed me in a way because it made me realize they don't have as much as us, but they're so happy. They love their country despite the problems they're facing, and I think we could all use a little more of that same attitude and spirit."
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From seeing the sport at the highest level to experiencing a different culture, Malachin's trip to Rio will pay dividends athletically, academically and even personally. Still just a junior, her postgraduate plans are up in the air, but she has plenty of time to figure them out.
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"Growing up, I always liked building things so for a long time, I thought I wanted to be an architect," said Malachin, currently a Materials Science and Engineering major. "Through the engineering survey class we have, there was one about materials science. I didn't know much about the subject because it's not one of the most well-known engineering fields, so I tried it out and loved it."
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Malachin is also working towards a minor in Supply Chain Management. There are a number of routes she could take post-graduation.
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"I may want to go back to school to get my MBA, but I think initially, I'd like to experience lab work then transition into an office setting," she said.
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In the here and now, Malachin is focused on continuing to develop and improve every day, on and off the water. In all aspects of life, the little things often go unnoticed, but can make a world of difference. One of those things happened with the Lehigh rowing program this past summer.
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"Our incentive to train over the summer was that we had to run a half marathon in September," said Malachin. "Our summer fitness was one of our big pushes. In past years, when the season would end, it would be easy to fall off a little bit.
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"Coming back this fall, we were timed doing a body circuit, an erg, a run and abs. Just seeing where we are this early in the season is really exciting. Some of the scores we're seeing now are really close to where we ended in the spring. We're starting at a much better spot, so we can keep going up." Â
Conley, and the entire Lehigh coaching staff, always pushes for continued development as complete student-athletes. Malachin learned a number of lessons from her cousin. Being able to witness her Gold medal moment in person only reinforced those lessons.
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"Jules showed up this August with a focus that is more refined and goal-driven," said Conley. "I think the experience of witnessing the top echelon of so many different sports taught Jules what a person is capable of doing when they truly want something bad enough. Jules has always been a tough racer, but there is a sense of confidence in her now because she knows what she wants and there are no barriers except herself preventing her from reaching her goals."
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Malachin agrees.
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"I definitely relearned in a sense how much hard work, dedication and determination can pay off," she said.
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"Watching Jules on the water these past few weeks, it's clear that Jules has raised her game," said Conley. "Because she is such a strong leader on the team, she is helping raise others with her to a new level. Lehigh Rowing is becoming a better program, and Jules is a part of making that happen."
 
 
