McLean native Claire Collins now has two Olympic Games under her belt, having returned from Paris recently after her rowing team placed fifth in their final competition Aug. 3.
The 27-year-old, who attended the Deerfield Academy boarding school in Massachusetts and Princeton University, rowed in the Women’s Eight, helping to power the boat from the six-seat in the middle. At her first Olympics, in Tokyo in 2021 (delayed a year because of Covid), Collins was in the Women’s Four and finished seventh.
We asked Collins via email about her experiences as an Olympian, what her training looks like and which fellow athlete-celebs she got to know while in the City of Lights. (Here’s a hint: She watched men’s gymnastics with the GOAT of women’s gymnastics.)
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Your team performed amazingly well. How would you describe the qualifying races and finals?
Thank you! We are proud of our effort and determination in the races, but quite frankly, our women’s team was hoping to perform better. Our competitiveness and belief in ourselves and what we are capable of is what got us there. I think our heat was solid. Our repechage [a trial heat that gives teams a second chance to qualify for the semifinals] was a good step in the right direction, as were the first three-quarters of our final. The final for my boat was fast and furious. I think it may have been the fastest race of the regatta (relative to other boat classes). But I am very proud of my teammates for giving their all on this journey and the hard work we have put in.
How did this second Olympics experience compare to the one in Tokyo?
Each Olympic experience was memorable and special in its own way. Tokyo came with a lot of Covid restrictions and not as much normal preparation. I was not able to share it with my family in person, but I still felt the Olympic experience and spirit. Paris was amazing and the whole experience was more heightened—getting to meet so many people more freely without masks, getting to see other sports and the city, celebrating with my team, and, most importantly, being able to share the experience with my family and friends. We also got to attend the closing ceremony, which was memorable and created some nice closure to the whole journey.
What was a typical day like for you ahead of the competitions?
In normal training, we train six to seven hours a day, six days a week. We train year round. A typical day for me during the year is a 6 a.m. wakeup for a 7 a.m. practice. It’s typically on the water and will run until 10 a.m. with on-land warm-up and cool-down. Then I head home for a second breakfast and work. I was working remotely as a health care consultant for a small firm based in Chicago called Orange Vista. Around 4 or 4:30 p.m., I head to the indoor gym for my second session, which is either a 90-minute steady-state session on the erg [rowing machine] or that, plus a one-hour weights session. (We do weights two to three times a week.) Then I head home for dinner and a little winding down before doing it all again. We train in Princeton, New Jersey, most of the year and then move somewhere warm like Sarasota, Florida, for two to three months in the winter. We have a few other rowing-related trips for competitions throughout the year. At the Olympics, we reduce our training and focus on recovery, which mainly means lying horizontally and stretching, etc.
What did you do after the races wrapped up in Paris?
It is a very emotional ride going to the Olympics, so I did shed some tears at first. I hung out with my family before they left Paris and went to the Team USA House in the Olympic Village. After they left, I went to see other sports compete like basketball, volleyball, track and field, and water polo. I also got to enjoy Paris at night!
What was it like to watch the other events?
It was incredible: awesome to see all the fans and even more amazing to see other athletes doing their thing. Basketball was particularly special because we were courtside and were close to the players and some other celebrities.
Did you meet any athletes you’ve always wanted to connect with?
We met athletes from all over, which was so cool, but I will highlight three stories. First, my teammates and I were recovering in the athlete area in the Team USA building at the village, and we ended up watching the men’s gymnastics finals on television with Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles. They were so nice and funny and we asked them a bunch of questions about gymnastics. Second, we met the Nigerian women’s basketball team outside the dining hall one day and they were so nice! We ended up watching them play the U.S. team the next week when we were finished racing. It was so cool to see our new friends compete, and even more special to see them compete against some awesome U.S. women’s basketball players. It was a great game. Finally, I grew up swimming in the DMV and actually swam on Katie Ledecky’s team for three years. Katie has connected with me at each Games we have been to (for me, only two!). She ended up being the flag bearer for the closing ceremony with one of my male teammates, Nick Mead! I got to connect them beforehand and take a picture right before the ceremonies.
Biles asked the media not to ask this question, but now that the Games are over… what are your plans?
I am headed to Cambridge University in the United Kingdom for my MBA. I start in September, so a few weeks of vacation and family time before heading to school. After that, who knows? But I am 99% sure I will be trying for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.