W. Crew's Whalen 'does it all'

The senior co-captain keeps busy away from the water, too. No matter how you address Penn senior Heather Whalen, co-captain of the women's crew team, you are talking about someone who has redefined the term "woman of the '90s." As one of the leaders of Penn's crew team and Delta Delta Delta sister, in addition to her academic commitments and a close relationship to a 5-year-old sister, Whalen does it all. "[Whalen] is an outstanding lady," Penn coach Stan Bergman said. "She's done a great job this year; she leads by example. What's most impressive is her positive attitude." Whalen has become a great rower in a short four years. Going into college, she had been recruited for numerous soccer programs. Her small, all-girls school outside of Philadelphia didn't have a crew program, but she was able to see many regattas, thanks to the attention given to the sport by other schools in the Philadelphia area. "I would go down and watch the races on Sundays," Whalen said. "I really started to like the sport -- I became obsessed with it. It was something I wanted to do." If a good friend's father hadn't convinced Whalen to switch to rowing, she wouldn't be the woman that she is today. She credits crew in helping her become a stronger person, mentally and physically. "[Rowing] has taught me so much about discipline, perseverance as well as team support," Whalen said. "As a collegiate athlete, I've really had to take what I've learned, and put it to the task by pushing myself and really giving the extra. It's a competitive environment and I just have to carry that out in my academics." Since Whalen's freshman year, in which she began rowing, she's been constantly trying to improve her technique and strength. Earlier this year during winter training, she improved her 6,000-meter time by a full minute from the year before. But her most important moment in these past four years occurred just a year ago. In New Haven, Conn., rowing against major Ivy rowing power Yale, Whalen, at the stroking position, and the junior varsity boat defied everyone except themselves by defeating the Elis by more than 1.5 seconds. In one of the closest races of the season, the crew raced aggressively and at a stroke rate much higher than Yale. That race, according to Whalen, changed the level of intensity and commitment of the entire team. "I realized those last 500 meters that you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it," Whalen said. "It's in there somewhere, and you just have to pull it out. So much of it is all about heart and that feeling afterwards? I was dead tired, but it was just really exciting, and that moment changed the way I viewed crew." Whalen's role as a sister in her sorority and to her 5-year-old sibling, Marnie, has provided escapes from crew and has also defined her personality in the boat and as a team leader. "The Tri-Delts? give me a break from crew once in a while," Whalen said. "So much of my life is my little sister. I just rely on my family a lot and I look for that atmosphere wherever I go." Her role in her family as a big sister is reflected in her relationship with the other members of the team and her friends. They call her "soccer mom" because she treats her friends the way that she treats her younger sister. For example, she always checks to see if they dressed warmly enough for the cold. "She's so outgoing, dynamic and a lot of fun. Her dedication to the team has made us a lot closer," Penn senior Meera Bhatia said. Whalen claims her role is to be a "motivator," through example and her efforts to dampen the tension in the boat during races. Along the four years, in addition to the soccer mom title, she has earned many other nicknames. After a rainy season, the crew team constantly came home drenched by the rain. Eventually, Whalen developed ringworm and was dubbed, "the fungus among us." Saturday, the Quakers will be in California for the San Diego Classic, where their hope is to improve and build on an unimpressive start to the spring season.