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"In high school, I had no idea what I was capable of, and then I met this team and the coaching staff — it changed my life." O'Brien "When they said yes, it was like chaos, chaos. Everyone was in the water, coaches, [athletics director] Craig Littlepage. I look back at pictures and I will never forget that. It was amazing. It was just so funny." According to O'Brien, there was something a little sweeter about capturing both the team title and the varsity eight title. In rowing, it is a little bit different; people pay attention to the varsity eight. While they look at the team championship, "Wow, you have the best team," the varsity eight is very significant. Knowing how special it was the first time around, O'Brien was not about to miss an opportunity to encourage her teammates. "Last year, when we went back to NCAAs," she reflected, "I knew we had a good shot of winning again. The day before the finals, the whole team and coaches [at a meeting], Coach Sauer asked if anyone wanted to say anything, and I stood up and said: 'Take it all in, really embrace the moment; embrace what is happening tomorrow because it is something that you will never forget.' "Last time I was so young, I don't think I realized how special it was. In the middle of the race, I remembered that. When I was in so much pain, I remembered what I had said the day before. It was just something so special and that team is unlike anything I have ever experienced before." This past summer, the two-time first-team All American was selected to be a member of the U.S. women's eight boat that would ultimately capture gold at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships in Lithuania. For nationals, O'Brien was moved from her comfort zone in the six seat to the stroke seat, thus responsible for setting the boat's rhythm. "When I got to the national camp, coach Justin Moore said, 'I have been talking to Kevin Sauer, and he said all you have to do is row stroke like you row six seat.' It was in the middle of the summer and I had not talked to coach in a couple of weeks, and [Moore] could not have said something more perfect," O'Brien recalled. "They put me at stroke seat with such amazing talent, such strong girls." With a gold medal and a couple of national titles in hand, O'Brien was voted the 2012 USRowing Fan's Choice Collegiate Rower of the Year. Co-sponsored by USRowing and row2k Media, the award winners were nominated and voted on based on their contributions and excellence in rowing in 2012, and nearly 33,000 votes were cast. Despite all the success, O'Brien remains determined to do more — and she does not have to look far to find her motivation. "I have the most amazing teammates in the world," she said. "When I am on the rowing machine, you are hurting so bad and you just want to get off, I remember my team and that's what, you know, it is always for my team. "I will never give up because of my team. I love them so much. Everyone has each other's back." ◆