In Their Own Words: Melanie Jaffe

5/1/2020 12:35:00 PM

I have not had what would typically be considered a ‘successful’ rowing season throughout my college career. I’ve fallen short of many of my goals in past years having never PR’d on a fitness test, gone to a single traveling race, or raced in the first varsity boats.

However, this year was vastly different. I finally had PR’s on my test ergs and won my seat races into the first varsity eight boat. I fought with more intensity than ever before and I finally felt true confidence in myself as an athlete. I was set to race in the varsity eight boat for the first spring race of our season, which would be my first time racing a 2K in this boat.

The UC San Diego women's rowing team pictured practicing on Mission Bay

On the Thursday before our first spring race, our coach, Colin, told us at the end of morning practice to race our hardest this weekend. He explained that we didn’t know how many chances we were going to get to race with the ongoing spread of COVID-19. The answer became an unfortunate zero that afternoon.

The reality that our season was being cancelled was devastating. Confused and frustrated, my roommates and I talked about how it felt like we had lost a part of ourselves. We grieved for all our lost accomplishments. After the most successful training season I’d ever had, I was being forced to leave my sport with nothing to show for it: no races, no regionals, and no chance at going to or medaling at the NCAA Championships.

Many seniors understood that this news was beyond an early end to our last season. It was especially saddening for the graduating class because it was an unspoken end to everything that came with being a senior student-athlete.

The seniors of the 2019-20 UC San Diego women's rowing team

If all NCAA Championships were cancelled, we knew this would mean no Athletics Banquet, no commencement and no ceremonies to conclude our time as college student-athletes. Many of us will never be in the same room with all our fellow UC San Diego athletes again. Though I find the feeling of uncertainty to sometimes be overwhelming and isolating, I must remember I am not alone.

The UC San Diego women's rowing team at the 2019 Athletics Banquet

Melanie Jaffe, Jane Zanteson, Caitlin Tribelhorn

Caitlin Tribelhorn, Jane Zanteson, and Melanie Jaffe at the 2019 women's rowing team banquet

This difficult experience has taught me how important it is to let yourself feel sadness and lean on one another, as teammates and friends. We have just lost something we cared about tremendously and dedicated almost four years of our life to. It is deeply painful to be in this position.

However, I know I will always have my teammates, who have been my family away from home for the past four years. I have my coaches and trainers who have taught me strength and responsibility. Being a college athlete showed me how to maintain structure and work ethic. Getting up before the sun six days a week to push ourselves physically and mentally through three-hour practices has armed us with the tools to combat any challenges ahead of us.

The 2019-20 women's rowing team

I learned to manage my sleep and nutrition along with the stressful workload that came with being at one of the top public schools in the country. Underneath the surface level commitments, I learned to handle failure and how to get up when I felt defeated. Perhaps even more importantly I learned the importance of being a part of a team, something that is bigger than myself. And now we are being asked to do that once again, at a world-wide scale as the population makes sacrifices of their own.

To my fellow graduating student-athletes, let this season be about relationships and personal achievements and not the abrupt ending we were stuck with. For the friends, teammates and family of graduating senior athletes, I ask you to be patient as this will sting for a long time, but we will get through this by continuing forward with all of our strength. We will get through it and grow in the process.

Melanie Jaffe pictured with teammates Juni Kim and Tonya Khounani

Lastly, I want to say thank you to my teammates for an incredible four years. Thank you to the UC San Diego Athletics Department for the support and opportunities that have been given to me. And thank you to my coaches and trainers; your confidence in me has allowed me to be confident in myself and flourish.

I wouldn't trade my experience as a Triton for anything.

Melanie Jaffe is a fourth-year senior of the UC San Diego women's rowing team. The Danville native is a speculative design major at Sixth College.

"In Their Own Words" is an on-going series highlighting UC San Diego senior scholar-athletes. Below are previous "In Their Own Words" releases:

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