The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520409
JUNE/JULY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 13 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Zara Collisson is a team captain for the Wolverines in 2023-24, after being named to the Collegiate Row- ing Coaches Association Athletes to Watch list ahead of the season. Collis- son is a two-time Big Ten champion (2021, 2V8; 2023, 1V8) and was tabbed as first-team All-Big Ten in 2022-23. The sociology major is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Here are some things about Collis- son that you may not have known: Best Aspect Of Being From Syd- ney, Australia: "Definitely the warm weather and the beaches." Favorite Restaurant In Ann Arbor: "Frita Batidos." Best Meal She Can Cook By Her- self: "I cook a pretty good breakfast sandwich or breakfast bagel with bacon, fried eggs, spinach and some butter." Favorite Professional Athlete: "I look up to Kim Crow [now married and goes by Kim Brennan]. She's an Aus- tralian gold medalist in the single sculls in rowing. She did a lot for women's rowing in Australia and really showed how strong we are in women's rowing. It shows what level you can get to and you can come from my country, and our resources can produce such a stellar ath- lete like she is. It shows you can do the impossible." Sport She Enjoys Besides Rowing: "I grew up playing soccer. My family was a big soccer family. My dad's always been soccer-obsessed, and it's some- thing that I've really enjoyed. I used to play in the backyard with my two younger sisters." Favorite Television Show: "'Fargo' is awesome." Favorite Movie: "I like Quentin Tar- antino films. I really enjoyed 'Kill Bill.'" Why She Chose Michigan: "Im- mediately when I visited Michigan, I was just so amazed at the team culture and the coaches. They had such a healthy culture, and I felt like I had known these people for years. It was a really welcom- ing environment that I didn't necessar- ily get as much at other schools. But also because of the balance between aca- demics and rowing. Michigan is one of the top schools in the world, and with rowing we've had a high-performing team through the years." What She Hopes To Do After Michigan: "I really want to go for the 2028 Olympics [in Los Angeles]. I want to keep rowing after college and hope- fully be a part of the Australian team. I want to see what I can reach in rowing and keep working hard to see how fast I can get. Some people say they peak in their 30s in rowing, so I'm in for a long ride." Favorite Memory At Michigan: "Winning Big Tens for the first time my freshman year will be forever ingrained because I've never experienced such ex- citement and happiness. It was during the COVID year, and the whole team had been through it all. Our hard work didn't just disappear, like the year before [when the season] got shut down." Overall Experience At Michigan: "I came to this university thinking I had a pretty strong mindset and pretty good discipline, and I really thank my parents for ingraining that into me. But imme- diately I was pushed past the point and I was pushed hard, and my mindset has reached another level. I've learned so many things about myself, about the team, how to be a good leader, how to work hard and how to work smart." — Clayton Sayfie Collisson helped Australia win a gold medal in the women's coxed four at the 2023 U23 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY ❱ Getting To Know Rowing Senior Zara Collisson