5 reasons to like Erin Cafaro

Erin Cafaro is the kind of girl you want to hate. 

She’s tall, thin, blonde, beautiful, witty and worst of all she’s incredibly smart.

Here are my top 5 reasons to look past those horrible faults and like Erin Cafaro:

1.  Humility.   She didn’t mean to become a world class rower.  It just sort of happened.  That’s the truth.  She read an article in The Bee about Ali Cox, another Central Valley Olympic rower and thought, “wow that’s cool.”  Cal Berkeley took her as a walk on athlete based on potential and the rest is history.

2. Sense of Self.  Oprah has filled 20 odd years of TV trying to help women find themselves.  Erin Cafaro exudes confidence and from what I hear, she’s had it her whole life.  What you see is what you get and what you’re getting is a hard working, driven, confident athlete.

3.  Oh Brother Where Art Thou.  Erin and her brother, JD have the kind of relationship you might have seen in a 1950s tv show.  They like each other.  They really, really like each other…and always have.

 

 JD, a former Cal football player, still coaches Erin on things like nutrition through email.  And, she listens.  He’s her biggest supporter and will be in Beijing if she’s lucky enough to be chosen to the Olympic team.

4.  Superstition. 

I’m posting this on Friday the 13th and while I don’t know exactly where in the world is Erin Cafaro, I’m reasonably sure she is not walking under a ladder or cuddling up to a black cat. 

Erin has a great superstitious streak going. 

In honor of her favorite San Francisco Giant, #22 Will Clark, she adds 22 seconds to every workout. 

It’s 22 seconds more that the girl next to her does and it’s that competitive nature that’s made her great.

 

 5.  Nicely, Nicely

She’s really, really nice.