My Globe Debut

The Head of the Charles Regatta is one of the largest rowing competitions in the world.

            I had the opportunity to not only attend the Regatta, but also to cover it as part of the media team.

            I know absolutely nothing about rowing, but jumped at the chance to be part of a real press team. I wanted to search out the story and write on deadline. I wanted to feel like a real world working journalist. And I got more than I asked for.

            I went to the Charles River on Friday and Saturday Oct. 21 and 22. I watched the boats gracefully glide through the water. I watched rowers get excited for their upcoming races. I watched a city become enamored with a great day for sports.

            I wrote two stories in one day. I interviewed an array of interesting people. I learned something new. But I think most importantly I learned that being a journalist is something I want to do with the rest of my life.

            My first story is about the naming of boats. You can read it here.

            My second story allowed me to meet a true legend, write an insightful profile and to grace the pages of The Boston Globe.

            Lynn Jennings is a world champion cross country runner and an Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000-meter track and field event. She retired from running 11 years ago and took up rowing 5 years ago. She competed in the Grand Master Women Singles 50+ event. My professor who took all his students to cover the regatta knew that Jennings’s story was an interesting one simply because she is an Olympic athlete taking on a new sport.

            What he didn’t know was that Jennings would take third place in her race.

            I interviewed her about her transition to rowing and her life these days.

            It was exciting to interview a legend, to see someone so dedicated to one thing succeed in another thing.

            I went home after a long day at the river to an email that I had a story John Powers, the sports reporter from the Globe, didn’t have, and to look for my name in Sunday’s paper.

            So Sunday I bought the Boston Globe and looked in the sports section, something I never do, for my own name. And there it was. My name was bolded in a little blurb about Jennings.

            You can read my initial story here. And if you are interested, you can check out the blog where the team of student journalists I worked with all weekend and I published our coverage of the regatta. The blog is the official news source for the Head of the Charles Regatta.

            I’ve also included a picture of my name in the Globe.

            Who knew that the first time my name would be in the Globe would be in the sports page?