Local rowers revel in success

Tatum Cox couldn’t stop fidgeting. 

Plagued with nervous anticipation, the Pine View School junior huddled together with several of her Sarasota Crew teammates anxiously waiting for the day’s final race to begin. 

A little more than seven minutes separated Cox, who had spent the morning watching practice, from knowing whether Crew men’s assistant coach Monica Whitehouse and team administrator Rosa Kemp would be representing the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics. 

“It’s crazy,” Cox said after reading the heat sheet, which said “Winner to Olympics.” “It’s so cool. I think I (was) more nervous for them than they (were) for themselves.” 

It was a surreal moment for Cox and her teammates, who stood along the shoreline April 24 at Nathan Benderson Park and looked on as their coaches attempted to make history. 

“You always hear about people training for the Olympics, but to have it be one of your coaches is such a different experience,” Crew rower Zach Skypeck said. 

Although they won’t be heading to Rio, Whitehouse and Kemp made the most of their first elite level competition. The team, which only began rowing together eight months ago, finished third in the final of the women’s lightweight double sculls — much to the delight of the crowd. 

While Whitehouse and Kemp couldn’t necessarily hear the crowd from the water, the knowledge they had the support of an entire community behind them was exactly what the duo needed to make a late push and secure the bronze. 

Hundreds of spectators, standing several rows deep, crowded the finish line to show their support for the hometown contenders. As Whitehouse and Kemp, both Sarasota residents, made their way to the shoreline following the race, the crowd erupted into celebration. 

“It’s really phenomenal to have all of the support,” Whitehouse said. “Every day, they have been out here cheering for us and giving us encouragement. It’s just amazing to get to represent the ‘S’ with all of them watching us, because it’s just a big family at Sarasota Crew.” 

With chants of “Sarasota Crew” reigning down around them, Whitehouse and Kemp received their medals standing alongside Vesper’s Kate Bertko and Devery Karz, who won the race, and Hillary Saeger and Erin Roberts, who finished second. 

Following the medal ceremony, Whitehouse and Kemp were greeted by Kemp’s parents, Gregory Kemp and Patricia Lara, who came down from New York for the event. 

Lara, who has watched every single one of her daughter’s races from beginning to end, spent much of the morning battling nerves and butterflies. But as the race got underway, she couldn’t help but become overwhelmed with pride seeing her daughter and Whitehouse — who has since become like a second daughter, Lara says — begin their elite careers. 

“I’m so proud of them,” Lara said. “What better thing could a parent want then see their child realize their dream? I haven’t experienced anything better yet. This is simply awesome.” 

Rosa Kemp told her parents about a year ago that she had aspirations of training for the Olympics. She switched weight classes and met Whitehouse a few months later. 

Together, the two began preparing for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials while continuing their coaching and administrative duties with the Crew. Whitehouse and Kemp simply altered their training schedule, fitting their workouts in between Crew practices.

“They had a countdown going, and you could just see how much fun it was for them to be in this moment,” Skypeck said. 

Whitehouse and Kemp didn’t have any expectations heading into the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but sometimes a lack of expectations can reap the biggest reward. 

Every race Whitehouse and Kemp competed in, whether it was a practice run, a time trial or the final race of the competition, was an opportunity to learn, grow and prepare for the future. 

“We expected to be in the pain cave for a lot of it, and I think we were,” Kemp said. “I think we’re happy with what we did given the short time we’ve been committed to training together. This is a good place to start from.” 

Whitehouse and Kemp plan to stay together in an attempt to compete at an international level, with hopes of returning to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in four years. 

“We’re excited to be going on this adventure together, and we’re only going up from here,” Whitehouse said.

But before they could even think about racing again, Whitehouse and Kemp had more important matters to attend to — pancakes. 

The two, along with Kemp’s parents, left Nathan Benderson Park following the competition and headed straight to Country Pancake House and Restaurant in Lakewood Ranch. The diner offers more than 100 varieties of pancakes roughly twice the size of a dinner plate. 

“She told me to look at the menu ahead of time,” Lara said of her daughter with a laugh. “She said ‘Mom, I don’t care if I get sick. I’m eating those pancakes.’” 

Whether it’s devouring pancakes or becoming an elite rower, Lara had just one piece of advice for her daughter. 

“Hold on to your dreams,” Lara said. “Keep working hard and don’t let go until you get there.”