Fab Five: Sarah Proctor

Photographs have the ability to capture important pieces of our past and help us recall people, places, feelings and memories that made an impact on our lives. For many scholar-athletes, pictures secure those special moments and assist in making their collegiate careers last forever.

In a feature called “Fab Five”, Triton scholar-athletes are tasked to pick five of their favorite photos throughout their career to be highlighted on UCSDtritons.com.

LA JOLLA, Calif. – Today, UC San Diego women’s rowing scholar-athlete Sarah Proctor shares her collection. 

A native of San Marcos, Proctor joined the team as a freshman in 2017 and went on to compete with the Varsity 8 at the NCAA Division II Rowing Championships in her sophomore campaign. Proctor will enter her senior year this fall. 

1. Warming Up

This is a photo of the 2018-19 women’s V8 practice warm up. The warm up is my favorite part of practice for multiple reasons. The main reason being, that as we begin practice the sun begins to rise, and we get glimpses of it as we row around the bay. Then as we cross under the bridge we get the most incredible view of the sunrise. This view reminds me of how lucky I am to be a part of our rowing team and also makes getting up at 5 a.m. worth it. 

2. Hard Work Pays Off

This is a photo of my little (Holly) and me at WIRA 2019 after both of us placed second in our races. I chose this photo because it reminds me of the progress I have made during my rowing career. I joined women’s rowing in 2017 as a novice, and before that I swam. Holly and I swam together in high school; so having her on our rowing team that year showed me how far I had come.

3. The Grind

This photo was taken during the middle of a steady state piece during one of our practices. I included this photo because it reminds me of the countless numbers of hours that we spend grinding during practice to make a boat successful. This is extremely exhausting both mentally and physically so it is easy to get discouraged, but one thing that helps me break through those walls and keep pushing is my teammates. Nothing inspires me more than to see my teammates pushing through a hard piece because it reminds me that we are all in this together.

4. Chasing Championships

This photo was taken after our welcome breakfast for the 2019 NCAA Championships. I included this photo because it was taken at my first NCAAs. Going to NCAAs was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was incredible to race at such a high level, and get to see the best teams in the nation perform. It was also an incredibly humbling experience for all of us that made us a lot closer as a team.

5. Cherish Every Moment

This photo is of the women’s V8 during Fall Classic in 2019. Fall Classic, although one of the longest races of our season is also one of my favorite because it is on Mission Bay. This race meant a lot to everyone in that boat because it was our last race together and we did not even know it. I remember getting off the water that day and everyone was so excited because of how our boat performed. We kept talking about how much potential it had and were looking forward to seeing the speed our boat would have had at the end of the season. Sadly we never got to see our top speed, but it taught us to really cherish every moment we have together as a team because it was taken away so suddenly.

Stay tuned for future editions of “Fab Five” from other UC San Diego scholar-athletes. Below are previous “Fab Five” collections: 

• Zeinab Torabi (women's track and field)
• Isabel Lavrov (softball)
• Cameron Leonard (baseball)
• Neil Tengbumroong (tennis)
   

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I.  The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in DivisionsIII and II and helped guide more than 1,300 scholar-athletes to All-America honors.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.