Nate Wirth '21

Nate Wirth '21 shows a dedication to rowing that is hard to match. He first discovered sculling — rowing with two oars — in sixth grade, when his family was living in Austria. His natural talent for the sport was obvious. When his family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, a year later, Wirth joined the Triangle Rowing Club, later moving to a rival club, and learned how to sweep — to row with one oar.

Wirth chose Brooks because he saw an opportunity to continue his passion for sculling and to engage in a close-knit community. "An important part of my rowing future is rowing the single," he says. "The ISL is very old school in that they just do sweeping. Tote [Smith, director of the Brooks rowing program] wanted to create a fall rowing program for sculling, though, and I wanted to help him build a team here and develop something further." Wirth also says he was drawn to the school's community. "The community at other schools I toured wasn't like the one at Brooks, and that's something I've always held onto here," he reflects. "Even though things might get rough, with rowing or in classes, this community has always been there."

Walking the Walk

Brooks rowing coach Csilla Clark points to Wirth's maturity. "Nate came in with a lot of focus for his age, with a goal in mind and a lofty game plan," she says. "I loved how passionate he was about rowing. He was always driven, focused and hardworking, and always had a set plan." Wirth stresses that he loves the single, but says he also loves the "big boats." "Everyone is relying on each other in a race," he says. "If I don't pull, that means I'm letting seven other guys down. You build a bond that's unlike anything else."

Wirth set a rigorous training schedule for himself at Brooks. He had an alarm set for 5:30 a.m. so that he could spend anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes on the erg before classes started; he would then have afternoon crew practice, or, if crew was not in season, either cross-country or wrestling commitments — Wirth excelled as a three-sport 1st team athlete at Brooks — before heading back to either the crew tanks or onto the water as the weather allowed. "I've always wanted to be the best, and I know I can constantly improve," Wirth says. "I remind myself when I do my workouts that there's someone out there training harder than I am."

Wirth's individual dedication, mental discipline and talent helped the team because he set what Smith calls "a standard of excellence" for his teammates to observe and follow. "The young guys in the program could look at Nate and say, that is excellence," Smith says. "They could say, that is something that I could aspire to." Clark agrees: "What ended up happening was that, week by week, more and more boys started following Nate," she says. "They participated in morning practices, copied his nutrition and looked to him for guidance."

A Lasting Relationship

Wirth credits Carlo Zezza '53 with helping him immensely as a rower. Zezza is the author of "Boys in a Box," a book that details the advantages of learning to row in small boats. Zezza's connection to Brooks "sealed the deal" for Wirth's matriculation to the school, Wirth says. Zezza, in turn, took Wirth under his wing. "Carlo has inspired me," Wirth says. "He's taught me so much. He opened my eyes to training with heart and mind, and the science behind training. He's been here for a lot of other kids, too — he gets to Brooks in the mornings to help kids on the erg and in the tanks, things like that."

Wirth hopes to take lessons that Smith, Clark, Zezza and Brooks have taught him into his collegiate rowing career. He will attend Columbia University as a member of the men's lightweight crew team, one of the country's best programs. "Columbia has always been my dream," Wirth says. "The coach there believes in small boats, and he's had a lot of success." Smith has faith in Wirth's future. "Nate would add speed to any program regardless of weight class," Smith says. "As a collegiate lightweight, he will be chasing a national championship."