Afterspending the pastfour weeks waking up at 5:30 a.m. to head down to the river for a two and one half hour practice, Julie Pett-Ridge is not only ready forthe Olympic Festival, but is also well deserving of the honor.
"I'm definitely on a different schedule than anyone else," said Pett-Ridge '97 who has been rowing up to five hours per day in preparation for the event, which will take place from July 21 to 23. She is also enrolled in two classes.
"It actually hasn't been too bad," Pett-Ridge said. "It's been pretty busy, but I'm used to it because we often have doubles in season. It's not that much more than what we do in season."
Pett-Ridge has been rowing with fifteen other nationally competitive crew women who were selected to attend this summer's Olympic Development camp. From this camp, eight women were selected to travel to Boulder, Col. this weekend to represent the group at the Olympic Festival.
The women have been training in Hanover because Dartmouth's head women's rowing coach, Barb Kirch was selected to head the group. The women will travel to Colorado Tuesday to prepare for the weekend competition.
"We want to practice on the water there and get climatized to the altitude," Pett-Ridge said.
While in Colorado, the eight women will compete against each other in exhibitions. They will be rowing pairs, which is a change from collegiate rowing.
Pett-Ridge is more acquainted with eight-man boats, since this is the type of boat she has rowed in for the past two years at Dartmouth. She has consistently represented the Big Green on the number one boat.
"It's been a good opportunity to learn how to row pairs," Pett-Ridge said. "If you want to go any farther, that's what you will have to be rowing in."
Presently, Pett-Ridge is unsure about her future plans.
Many of the women Pett-Ridge has been practicing with the past few weeks though may possibly be in the position to make the 2000 Olympics.
"I'm thinking I might give the National Team a hot my senior year, but it is not something I am compelled to do."
For the moment, Pett-Ridge is looking forward to enjoying herself this weekend and has enjoyed the opportunity to row with top national women across the nation.
"I'm mostly excited," Pett-Ridge said. "It's really been interesting because a lot of the women I've met I've competed against in the spring.
For such a long time we've been trying to psyche eachother out on the starting line, and now we are making friendships," she said.