Many people are unaware of the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to participate in rowing. Even though rowing is not offered at Cherry Hill East, Carmella Viglietta (‘26) has thrived in the sport. Despite not having the school support, Viglietta recently announced she committed to Boston University, a Division I school for rowing.

Not having a high school rowing team meant she learned to manage her athletic schedule and academics throughout her four years at East.

“[It is] definitely tricky… the rowing schedule disregards school,” said Viglietta.

She first began rowing in eighth grade and described her sport as extremely time-consuming. Rowing is a physically and mentally demanding sport and takes up a large amount of time commitment. Rowing ended up having a massive impact on her life; it led to her relying on time management skills she had to pick up over the years.

“I had tried every sport under the sun but didn’t really love anything until I started rowing,” she said.

Unlike other sports, you can’t start rowing until you’re older because of your size and physical strength.

In addition to rowing being a difficult sport, the recruiting process is too. Viglietta started the process earlier than most, spending time at campuses all around the country and visiting with the teams, getting to know players and coaches very well. After narrowing her selection of schools, she landed at Boston University.

Her time on the Cooper Junior Rowing Club allowed her to bond with girls, and she is very thankful she could grow up with them. Viglietta feels that she learned many important things from being around the older girls on the team.

As Viglietta begins her next chapter at Boston University, her dedication to the sport has led her to the next step to compete at the Division 1 level. She leads a great example to future athletes of balancing academics with a demanding sport outside of school. She reflects on the positive impact that years of training and discipline have had on both her athletic and academic life, and hopes for a continued successful future.