Michaela's Olympic Dreams
“I didn't know it when I set the goal, but I've come to realize that aiming for Olympic gold was just an excuse. What gives me joy is finding that delicate edge—between fatigue and failure, between load and recovery—and walking along it for as long as possible. I get to play that game every day in training, and that's what keeps it fun.”
– Michaela Copenhaver
Rower Michaela Copenhaver was one of our very first Pro Athletes for Yoga. When we first connected she was already using the yoga and feeling the difference, and aligning to help support her felt natural and exciting. Michaela understands deeply the connection between body and mind, and between work and rest. She’s intelligent, inspiring, and always curious — and it’s an honor to contribute in any small way to her journey.
Get to know Michaela plus a first row seat to her road to Tokyo!
You rowed with LW4X in Worlds, but will be in the LW2X at the Trials. Why?
Although there are four boat classes for lightweights at the World Championships, only one boat class competes at the Olympics — the lightweight double. There will also be a World Championship held this year for the remaining three boat classes, but each country can only send two lightweight women to the Olympics every four years, and only if the boat qualifies. The United States missed out on the first seven qualification slots last summer, and will have to compete for the last two spots this May.
How do rowers qualify for the Olympic Trials?
There is no qualification for the trials. For events with too many entries, like the women's single at this year's trials, all but the top 14 are cut after a time trial.
Is this your first Trials?
I raced the Olympic Trials in 2016 but, after a fourth place finish in the time trial, failed to qualify for the 4-boat final by 3 seconds. I didn't take a lot of good lessons from that Trials and, in that sense, more than because of the result, it feels like a failure.
You have been aiming for Tokyo 2020 for years, how do you continue to stay hungry for this goal? How do you break it down?
I didn't know it when I set the goal, but I've come to realize that aiming for Olympic gold was just an excuse. What gives me joy is finding that delicate edge — between fatigue and failure, between load and recovery — and walking along it for as long as possible. I get to play that game every day in training, and that's what keeps it fun.
There were long stretches where, without understanding what truly excited me about rowing, I struggled with motivation. I felt very lost in 2017 and even in early 2018, before making my first national team. I ended up turning to running in those years because it was an easier place for me to find joy again.
In that process, I realized that Tokyo 2020 was just an easy way to explain what I really wanted: to get really good at getting better, and to experience giving the best of myself to something.
How have you been using Athletes for Yoga in the Trials build up?
This fall, I invested in weekly massage and, through consistent work, it became clear just how unbalanced and stuck together my muscles were. I've been using a lot of the targeted routines to support my regular massage work, especially focusing on my hamstrings, glutes, and quads.
I also turn to Athletes for Yoga to deal with the extreme mental and emotional fatigue I often face. Training at full capacity and maintaining a low body weight simultaneously is extremely difficult, and when it all gets to be too much, taking time for self-care in the form of yoga is really helpful.
Do you have a mantra you've been using in the build up?
I don't have a mantra, but I've been working a lot on owning my vulnerability and acknowledging and facing my fears. Courage has been a theme throughout this build up.
Another focus for me has been on quality. Knowing that this was my last opportunity, I wanted to bring my best self to every practice, and enjoy squeezing every drop out of every stroke, rep, painful moment.
Race day, what word comes to mind?
Confidence.
Will you walk us through the process of race day?
The Trials regatta will actually be several rounds of racing spread over five days. Every race day, I'll have to weigh in with my partner, Helen, at an average of 57kg, two hours before the start. Preparing for the weigh-in involves a lot of dietary adjustment and, often, an early morning session on the bike to sweat off the last pound (without breakfast—the absolute worst).
After the weigh-in, it's a scramble to get rehydrated, well-fueled, and finished digesting before launching the boat for our warm up. Sometimes, the easiest and calmest part of the day is sitting in the starting blocks waiting for the flag to drop. Once each round of racing is over, every moment counts, getting ready to weigh in and race again sometimes less than twelve hours later. It's also not unusual for rounds of racing to get delayed, rescheduled, or cancelled for weather, and I've had to learn to go with the flow.
In my boat class, only the winner gets to move on to the next step, which isn't even racing in Tokyo. The United States still has to qualify the boat for the games. The winning crew from Trials will race in Switzerland in May, where a top 2 finish will earn a spot on the starting line in Tokyo. Although the winners of the Trials will receive funding to compete at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, there is no prize money for any competitors. In fact, I've earned more money competing in running than I have ever made with rowing.
You said this December this would be your last competitive year, why does this feel like the time to go all?
Eight years is a long time to be training and competing at this level, especially without any income from the sport. I always expected that 2020 would be a good year to move on, and start the next phase of my life — a career and a family— but left open the possibility of continuing to 2024 if it felt right. However, it's almost certain that lightweight rowing will be eliminated from the Olympic program after this year's games. Turning 30, ending a quadrennial, and saying goodbye to the Olympic dream all seem like good farewell points, but combined, I'm taking it as a sign to move on.
You are an incredibly intentional and intelligent human and competitor. What are your favorite ways to sharpen your mental game?
To start, I read, everything: all types of books, articles, blog posts, tweets, scientific papers, and more. I like to read deeply, allowing new ideas to change me and shape me. I think that's so important for a good mental game — being open to and practiced at change.
I also work with a sports psychologist, who helps me identify my weak areas and create actions to strengthen them. I use a lot of visualization and journaling in the weeks leading up to racing to find a good mental space and help me quiet my self-judgement, which is one of my biggest weaknesses. Meditation helped me recognize the extent of my self-judgement so I could address it.
My favorite meditation was a bonus audio file sent out when I pre-ordered Work IN, about creating space between work and rest. As a perfectionist, I often end training with a cycle of negative thoughts racing through my head, and, if I don't stop it, I'll come back to the next practice still exhausted. For the same reason, I also really like the How to Improve Sleep Meditation — it improves the quality of my rest between sessions.