Where are they now? Mary Whipple

There are few that can boast anywhere near the medal-winning career of Mary Whipple. As coxswain of the United States women’s eight, Whipple was part of a top team that began to take shape with a silver medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and then rose to a position of a seven-year winning streak. During that streak the crew won two Olympic golds.

The US women became the crew to beat in the eight. But, with Whipple at the helm, no one could. The coxswain often acts as a pseudo-coach and when Whipple looks back on her rowing career, she says helping create the team culture was one of the elements that she’s the most proud of.

“The further away from competing the details are getting fuzzier but the feeling of racing and the friendships formed from racing are very much still clear and alive,” says Whipple from her home in Washington State’s Cascade Mountains.

“How we wanted the race to feel and why we wanted to race. Defining those two questions with a team is a privilege and very special when you execute it on the biggest stage – at the Olympics.”

Whipple started her rowing adventure just before entering high school when her mother was looking for something for Whipple and her twin sister to do over the summer. Whipple’s first experience was in a single and she then went on to learn sweep rowing. For Whipple and her sister, their size had the coach pointing them towards coxing.

“At first I was disappointed because I loved rowing and I considered becoming a coxswain was like getting demoted. I quickly fell in love with the position because it allowed me to compete for the fastest boats, steer and make decisions that increased boat speed.”

Whipple still took any opportunity to row although time meant the chances were limited. “When I joined the National team I would always hop on the erg or row in a tank whenever my coach would change our technique so that I could get the feel for it.”

After Whipple’s second Olympic gold (London 2012), she chose to retire. Coming from the west coast of the United States and with the US team based on the east coast, Whipple felt the pull to be closer to family. “If the training center was in a place where I could have it all: family, career, training, then who knows if I would have retired.”

Retirement allowed the opportunity for to Whipple to be able to say ‘yes’ to more things. “I kept busy and I think that helped. I also moved to a small mountain town two hours east of Seattle and got married to a ski professional so I got to learn or rather re-learn skiing, mountain biking and being outdoors again.  Creating new friendships and becoming a part of a new community really helped.”

Rowing remained in Whipple’s life as she created a coxswain coaching business; The 9^th Seat. She is also a volunteer coach for the University of Washington and at the Rio Olympics Whipple commentated for NBC.

In fact Whipple’s working life revolves around rowing. “I do speaking engagements about the power of a team and how to create winning team cultures. I also travel for my summer camps or commentating for rowing races or side coxing gigs for Hydrow.”

But Whipple’s time is now mainly dominated by a five and a two-year-old son and daughter. “Trying to raise two kids during covid and maintain my coaching business was and is a hustle,” she admits.

Whipple fully appreciates the lessons rowing has taught her in life. It’s given me a sense of purpose. It’s given me a career in coaching and taught me that hard work pays off especially when you lift everyone else up around you and alongside you.”