Whipping wit…10 questions with Mary Whipple part 1

Mary Whipple is the presumed coxswain for the US Olympic Womens Rowing Team.  She played 10 Questions with Deirdre’s Diary.

1.  As the main womens coxswain you’re 99.9% sure you’ll be named to the Olympic rowing team.  What kind of tomfoolery would you have to comit to meet that .1% cut and get booted?

I would probably have to crash our $50,000 boat.

2.  Seriously, you’re in a great position where you’re reasonably sure you’ll be heading to China.  Many of your rowers are not.  What’s the mood like?  As the “in boat coach” do you say or do things to keep the motivation up?

We all rely on each other right now.  There are 8 days left until the naming date and we are getting down to the final selection.  The stress level is high but we are all dedicated to making the eight the fastest possible so whoever goes has a shot at medaling.

3.  By definition, coxswains are small.  Your personality is huge. ( I mean that as a compliment.)  Are people surprised so much energy comes from such a small person?

At first people are surprised that I’m not that loud.  But, it helps that I have a microphone and there are speakers in the boat.  It does take a certain personality to organize eight women and make sure we are on the same page.

4.  Is it tough to have a social life when you are training for the Olympics and you spend a good chunk of your time with a bunch of girls on a boat?

We actually like hanging out with each other and now that it is BBQ weather we get together and it’s an instant party when we have an afternoon off.  My internet is currently out so my roommates (2 girls on the team) and I are at our other two teammates’ house watching 27 Dresses and checking email between practices.

 5.  Your parents, AKA Team Whipple, are legendary on the rowing circuit for their creative travel arrangements.  We caught up with them as they camped out in Athens.  What are their plans for China?

With hotel rooms being so expensive they got their hands on a great hostel near the Forbidden City.