Maija and Anna Andert ROW

Our Story: Work Harder Than You're Asked

Orlando Area Rowing Society

We started rowing at OARS Learn to Row camp the summer before 8th grade. Having loved water sports and recreation our entire lives but missing a team environment, rowing in both large and small boats drew us in right away. Soon we were signed up for the competitive 8th grade team and then the high school team, and every day since we have known that this is our passion and there is no place we'd rather be than moving a boat faster than our crew ever believed we could. Our OARS teammates, coaches and cheering squad are who we row for.

Our family motto is WORK HARDER THAN YOU'RE ASKED.
Not only in what others ask of us, but in what we ask of ourselves.

St. Petersburg Yacht Club Sailing

We started our water sports career with youth sailing--first with learn to sail camps at age 4 at Wayzata Yacht Club and Lake Minnetonka Yacht Club in Minnesota, then at Lake Eustis Sailing Club after moving to Florida. At age 9 we joined the competitive racing team at Saint Petersburg Yacht Club, sailing in the Optimist Pram and then in the Laser. Sailing remains our first love, and in the limited breaks we have from rowing practice, training and regattas, we continue to race with our dad who crews for us in the Melges 15 class, against a fleet of youth, adult, mixed-crew and professional level sailors. It's a different kind of rush and a community all its own, but a lot of what it means to us is the tradition, family and friends that we enjoy even after hanging up our youth pinnies early to go full-bore rowing. We are forever grateful that sailing taught us the spirit of continuous improvement, the virtues of being coachable, and the importance of emotional resilience. All are moving bars and critical to our success in rowing and in life.