Hauling a long thin rowing boat to the banks of the Kansas River on a clear Saturday morning, freshman Kate Accardo began her weekly rowing practice. She strapped in her oars and waited for the sign to enter the water.

For the first time this fall, Accardo was eager to try out rowing. It is a water sport that involves a team of people in a rowboat competitively working together to make the boat go faster. She rows 8s.

“I didn’t know what it was about and then I tried it out one day and I thought it was pretty fun,” Accardo said.

After her mother, Shannon Accardo, began rowing earlier this year, she became inspired to pursue the sport. She joined the Kansas City Boat Club at the beginning of September and practiced four times a week.

“I think she should always be active, playing a sport,” Shannon said. “And I think rowing was a great choice.”

Accardo enjoyed the sport so much that she invited many of her friends to try out it out, including Kiley Condon a sophomore at St. Teresa’s Academy. They have been best friends since fourth grade at Visitation and now row together on the same team. They took this opportunity to keep in touch since they go to different high school

At a normal practice, Accardo starts off in one direction down the river and halfway through her two-hour long practice, she and her team turn around and make it back to their starting point.

Accardo said rowing is a team-building sport that takes many committed team members to form a consistently strong and fast group. Not many people row, which is why the sport is considered out of the ordinary, according to Accardo.

“It’s not usually done in the Midwest,” Accardo said. “It’s not a typical sport like volleyball or basketball. It’s unique.”

Rowing is becoming a bigger part of Accardo’s life the more she learns about the sport. Since it’s a fall sport, her season ended in mid-October, but she plans on continuing next year.

“I really enjoy the feeling I get when we start on the water. It’s just really cool,” Accardo said. “I plan on continuing past this season.”