Imagine being a 12-year-old girl. You are going through the awkward adolescence of any of your peers. But there’s a difference: you’re 6-feet tall. You stand out. And, although you are a person with many great qualities, it’s only your height that people focus on.

But soon you discover rowing. You love the sport. Better still, your height is an asset, a tool that assists you in excelling.

This is the origin story of Olympic Gold Medalist, Caryn Davies. Caryn would go on to study at Harvard and continue rowing there. She sat in the most important position on the boat known as stroke, as she participated in three Olympic Games: Athens, Beijing, and London. She has won two gold medals and one silver. She also won the Thomas Keller Medal, which is the most prestigious award in rowing, and she’s the only American to have ever won it.

As if that weren’t enough, she got her bachelor’s at Harvard, MBA at Oxford, and law degree at Columbia.

There are so many things I admire about Caryn. As you’ll hear, she thinks deeply about sport, excellence, and being a well-rounded person outside of sports. You’ll also hear I’m practically jumping out of my seat with excitement as Caryn tells her stories and shares her wisdom.

So, listen in as Caryn talks about winning in and out of the water.