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JUNE 2021 25 former UVA teammate Molly Baker be- gan their first days of training together in New Jersey as two of just seven athletes there at the time, they knew from their history together at UVA that challenges could be fun. This drove them to be even more competitive, which pushed them further. "Olympic gold was a piece of that drive," Shoop said. "But for me, the ful- fillment is that my life is forever changed because of rowing. Rowing has been my outlet to find personal growth every day, while being surrounded by others who also wanted to grow and be positive, even when things are tough." In honor of the positive impact row- ing in college has had on her life, the oar Shoop raced with in the Beijing Olympics now hangs in the UVA boathouse. Following her Olympic career, Shoop recognized her true passion for coach- ing. From 2012-14, she coached full time for a junior rowing program in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. From there, she became an assistant coach at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla., where the program earned two NCAA championships. In 2016, the University of Miami then offered her the opportunity to complete her master's degree in exercise physiology while serving as an assistant coach. While coaching at a camp recently, Shoop was asked how it felt to be the only gold medalist there. Her response was, "the medal was a byproduct of a behavior." Still being driven by naïve, relentless optimism propels Shoop to continually ask: "How can we be better?" "Life is not about a checkpoint," she noted. "Success for me is to live every day to improve in some way, and to be sur- rounded by people who want to live that process along with me. "It all stems from that moment back at UVA with Coach Sauer in the AFC when he asked if I wanted to row." Another life goal was realized when Shoop wrote her first book, Better Great Than Never. In it, she shares her life story — one about "a girl from Virginia, no different from anyone else, who was pre- sented with an opportunity and pursued it wholeheartedly." The book is dedicated to her grand- mother and to Sauer. Shoop loves education and commu- nication and wants to inspire others to "let their preparation become their con- fidence," just as rowing taught her to do. Her book encourages others to go after their dreams with their all, promising they will be far better than had they never pur- sued them at all. She believes that "Olympians walk among us every day, but just don't have a medal to show for it." This is to say we can all demonstrate Olympic values and virtues each and every day of our lives. Shoop is now physically active for a dif- ferent purpose. While she spends much of her time working for Miami Beach Ocean Rescue, she has the ability to travel, write and coach. Her goal is to write more books to inspire people at all ages to patiently pursue their best selves. She aims to connect with different groups and small communities through her coaching and public speaking. Shoop has provided live and pre-recorded voice-overs for events and commentary for the U.S. Olympic Trials with more commentary in the future for NBC, and for ACC and NCAA events. As opportunities continue to develop for Shoop, she still gives credit to Sauer and her UVA experiences for her success. She participates in various rowing alumni Zoom calls, returns for athletics reunions when she is able, and stays in touch with her friends and teammates. She is adamant that if one thing was dif- ferent, everything would be different. "Coach Sauer works tirelessly to sup- port the rowing women," Shoop said. "He knows how many doctors, nurses and service people have come through the pro- gram. I can only imagine how many wed- dings he has been invited to! "I can't not support him and the Virginia rowing program for the rest of my life. For this, I give to the VAF every year and I wish I had more to provide." — Jess Armistead Shoop credits her success to head coach Kevin Sauer and the time she spent with the Virginia rowing program. PHOTO COURTESY LINDSAY SHOOP