Laurel Kaye

Nationality

US

Height

1.69m

School/High School

St Anthony’s High School

Club

OUWBC

Undergraduate/Graduate

Graduate

Previous University

Duke University, Yale University

Undergraduate course

BS in Physics

Graduate course

DPhil in Astrophysics

What is your Oxford College?

Worcester College

Why are you studying your course?

I’ve always loved space. From the time I was a young child I wanted to name the stars, look through telescopes, and become an astronaut. Understanding the physics behind what we’re seeing and discovering new things about our universe is very motivating.

What is the most interesting part of your course?

In my research I look for new planets around other stars, which is very exciting. And I dream of someday becoming an astronaut, so studying stars and planets as an astrophysicist is right up my alley.

Year you first started rowing?

2013

First rowing club?

St Peters College BC/Yale Grad Crew

Why/How did you get into rowing?

I’ve done sport all my life – soccer and track/cross-country and had always wanted to try rowing but didn’t get the opportunity until undergrad. I was immediately hooked.

Name of first rowing coach?

I honestly don’t remember! Mike Genchi at Christ Church was my first important one though. He really believed in me and pushed me to get to the next level.

How do you balance rowing and academic life?

I block off my time. Four hours between trainings, four hours after training, and extra on the minibus if it’s a busy day.

Who would be your dream team eight to row with from everyone in the history of rowing?

I think it would be ideal to get a boat together with Serena Williams, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Misty Copeland, Becky Hammon, Mae Jemison, Rey Skywalker, and Megan Rapinoe, coxed by Barack Obama. We’d be more or less unstoppable.

What’s your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far?

I’ve always been a long-distance runner, but I started rowing as a thirdyear undergrad and was made stroke of the novice boat. I continued for a few years rowing at the college level, captaining the Christ Church Boat Club women in 2015-16, when I also first joined the OUWBC development squad. With them, I rowed in Henley Women’s, winning the semi-finals in the academic 8s and leaving me inspired to go further in rowing. I then returned to the States for medical school, where I rowed with Yale Grad Crew, honing my sculling, and becoming squad captain in 2017-18. Returning to Oxford for my DPhil, I joined the Oxford lightweights, where I stroked the 2021 Blue Boat before competing in BUCS and Henley Women’s later in the year. Last year in 2022 I rowed in Osiris and competed in the 4- at Henley, beating Cambridge in the semi-finals.

Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when?

I rowed at stroke seat in the 2021 Lightweight Boat Race and bow seat in Osiris in 2022.

Have you ever been at school/ university/on a team with anyone at ‘the other place’?

At Yale, on Grad Crew, we had a fair mix of people who had rowed at Oxford or Cambridge. Boat Race viewing parties were... tense.

Your favourite race so far?

My favourite race that I’ve been in was the 2016 Henley Women’s Academic 8s semi-final where we (OUW) edged out Oxford Brookes by a canvas. It was the closest race I’d ever been in. And Brookes stayed and cheered us on in the final. My favourite Boat Race was 2016, which was the first one I saw in person, where Morgan Baynham-Williams turned an early lead into a decisive victory by boldly steering the Oxford crew out of rough water.

What is the best place you have ever rowed?

South Africa. I went coastal rowing in a most magically beautiful place full of lovely enthusiastic people and also penguins.

Obviously, it’s long hours and hard work – what inspires you to keep rowing?

I feel that rowing can capture so much of a human psyche. There is striving for perfection, the push and pull and testing of physical and mental limits, there is an incredible bonding with teammates, immersion in nature, a rhythmic fluid beauty in the motion, and also incredible peace. It teaches you resilience, patience, humility in victory and courage in defeat.

What do you feel is your greatest achievement through rowing, be it accolades or something more?

I’ve had a lot of setbacks in rowing in the last few years – injuries, hospitalisations, and personal life events have thrown me off my game repeatedly. Training through these and most importantly, building the mental strength and resilience to keep coming back, has been my greatest takeaway.

What is your favourite sports quote?

“It is not the critic who counts; not the one who points out how the stronger stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the one who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spend themselves in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if they fail, at least fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” - Teddy Roosevelt

How would you describe the sport to a non-rower?

It is like doing ballet on a thin log in perfect synchrony with eight of your very strong best friends to the point of utter exhaustion.

How does being an athlete make you a better person?

It teaches you to be strong in so many ways, but also patient with yourself and with others.

Why do you think someone outside of the sport can relate to your career as an athlete so far?

Everyone is passionate about something, or multiple somethings – it gives life excitement and meaning.

What are your strengths, as a person and as an athlete? I’m persistent, I do not give up easily and try to find new ways to approach a problem if it doesn’t work the first (or second, or third...) time. I’m also positive and optimistic. And I bake delicious snacks.

What do your friends think of your athletic success? How do you handle missing out on activities with friends because of your athletic schedule?

They probably think I’m a bit mad to be honest. But lots of people are mad about something. I make the most of the time I do have with friends. Or I convert my friends into rowers.

Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing?

I write, paint, draw cartoons (@meet. the.planets), run, and play the cello. I’m also very interested in space medicine and my dream is to become an astronaut.