Max Meyer-Bosse’s sport gets no publicity. Most of his Staples friends have no idea how he trains — let alone how hard. They probably don’t even know he’s a national champion.
That’s the life of a rower.
Coach Sharon Kriz, Max Meyer-Bosse and Owen Traynor.
Max and his partner — recent Green’s Farms Academy graduate Owen Traynor — finished 1st at last weekend’s US Rowing Youth National Championships in Cincinnati. Racing at the highest level against crews from around the country, they won the 2000-meter finals by 3 seconds.
That’s a great margin — but it pales in comparison to their 12-second edge in the semis.
Max began rowing in 7th grade. His mother enrolled him in the novice program at the Saugatuck Rowing Club, where she already competed. He liked being part of a unified team.
“It’s a different world out there,” he says of the water. “It’s a stress release. It’s enjoyable, and gratifying too.”
Max rows for 2 1/2 hours a day, 6 days a week, 12 months a year. In the summer, when he has more time, he coaches younger kids.
“For a solid hour and a half, we just row,” he says of his training. “No drills — just rowing. Rowing is about how strong you are, and how long you can be that strong.”
Owen heads to Brown this fall. Max will need a new partner for upcoming races, like the prestigious Head of the Charles.
He’ll have his pick of the crop. Who wouldn’t want to race with Westport’s newest national champ?
