MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia College senior Kileigh Lade says rowing started for her throughout the spring of her freshman yr of highschool in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
Her pursuits then have been in soccer and swimming, and he or she used rowing as extra of an offseason exercise to remain in form.
 
“It was a kind of issues after I bought within the water I spotted how totally different of a sport it’s and that sort of stored me coming again,” she says.
 
Lade took all of her official visits, together with journeys to Florida and Iowa. As soon as she got here to West Virginia, although, she turned hooked on the ambiance right here.
 
“The fan base in West Virginia is electrical, and it’s a kind of issues the place rowing isn’t a super-big fan base sport, nevertheless it’s nonetheless prefer to a West Virginia particular person, ‘You row for West Virginia? That is so cool.’ I am like, ‘Actually?’ It is the craziest ambiance.”
 
The senior captain says the help system she’s developed throughout her 5 seasons at WVU has helped make Morgantown a house away from residence.
 
“I inform individuals all the time right here it is like having dad and mom away from dad and mom. When issues occur in my life, clearly, I wish to name my dad and mom and inform them, however then I wish to inform (coach) Jimmy (King), (assistant coach) Tina (Griffith) and (assistant coach) Mikie (Sevick) simply the identical. It is simply having that fixed help system.
 
“Now that it is my fifth yr, everyone calls me ‘grandma’ and ‘me-maw’ so individuals name me for recommendation rather a lot. I am the particular person to get recommendation from, and I get them to snort extra usually, although,” she provides.
 
Lade earned Educational All-Huge 12 First Crew honors final yr whereas taking part in 5 of WVU’s six regattas. She was additionally a member of the 1^st Varsity 8+ boat that received the finals of the George Mason and Robert Morris Invitationals and competed finally yr’s Huge 12 Championships.
 
Whereas eyeing her ultimate Huge 12 championship race Might 16 in Austin, Texas, she can also be changing into reflective of the 5 fantastic years she’s spent at West Virginia College.
 
“My favourite issues are touring typically; I like our coaching journeys. Being right here so lengthy, it is not likely a reminiscence, however I really feel like I have been right here for an important a part of this system so attending to see this system I got here into to this system I am leaving is the best factor ever,” she says.
 
This week’s Lifetime of a Mountaineer was produced by Megan Crain and is introduced by WVU Drugs.