 |
  |
© 2003, Ben Holbrook |
| school/year |
Princeton/1995 |
| birth date |
September 15 |
| height |
5ft 8in |
| weight |
150 lbs |
| hometown |
Durham, NH |
| major |
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
| sport |
Rowing |
| training town |
Princeton, NJ |
| coach |
Tom Terhaar |
| personal best |
n/a |
| ranking |
n/a |
| outstanding achievement |
1994 World Champion |
| career goals |
Exercise physiology |
Danika Holbrook (Harris) was recently featured in "One of America's Fastest Rowers Returns for the Olympics," TheSquare.com.
Danika Holbrook started rowing as "a scrawny 100lb little eleven year old." Less than a decade later she went on to stroke the US lightweight coxless four to a World Championship Gold Medal. Now, after six years away from rowing, she has changed her life dramatically in order to make a comeback and train for the 2004 Olympics.
Holbrook's rowing career began in 1983 when, at the age of ten, she followed her older sister down to the Durham Boat Club in her hometown of Durham, New Hampshire. She started there, competing in both sculls and sweeps. Holbrook had a successful junior career, winning national championships in single, double, quad and pair, and making the 1990 Junior World Team in the four.
At Princeton, Holbrook made a successful transition to eights. During her first collegiate season, she was the seventh seat in the boat that won the Novice eight (person) collegiate championship. The following year, Holbrook stroked the junior varsity eight to a collegiate championship for Princeton. She also made the national team, and stroked the US National lightweight four to a world championship bronze medal.
Her years of hard work finally paid off in 1994. That year, she was the seventh seat on the boat that won the varsity collegiate championship. She also was on top of the world after stroking the US national four to a World Championship gold medal! Holbrook finished her collegiate career in 1995 with another varsity eight collegiate championship.
After graduation from Princeton with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Holbrook retired from competitive rowing, and pursued a career in the pharmaceutical industry. She took a job in California, where she was able to enjoy other outdoor sports. However, after six years of retirement from rowing, Holbrook ecided to revive her Olympic dream. In order to pursue this dream, she made great changes to her life. Last year, she left her life and job in California and moved to Princeton, NJ, a national team training site. When she left for Princeton, she had neither a place to stay nor a job, but has since found both. Holbrook recently switched to a part-time job at a medical writing company in order to accommodate her intense training schedule. She stroked the women's quadruple sculls at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships, placing 7th and 6th respectfully. After the 2004 Olympics she hopes to return to school and earn an advanced degree in exercise physiology. |
