Both sisters won NCAA titles while in college, and Sarah is now the assistant women’s rowing coach at UC Berkeley.

I caught up with Mary after the Games in her hometown of Sacramento, where she and her sister graduated in 1998 from Sacramento Adventist Academy. Mary grew up attending the Orangevale SDA Church, sitting with her parents in the fourth pew on the left. While a student at the University of Washington in Seattle, Mary attended the Green Lake Church and enjoyed their active young adult group. Currently in the process of moving back to Seattle, she looks forward to going back to Green Lake once her busy public-speaking itinerary settles down.

 This summer in Beijing, China, 28-year-old Mary Whipple won an Olympic gold medal in the women’s eight rowing event. As the coxswain, it is her job to guide, motivate, and unify the eight rowers in the boat. She sits in the stern and is the only one who can see forward during the 2000-meter race. Mary and her crew set a world best time of 5 minutes, 56.55 seconds during the qualifying heats at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, and set it again in 2006 with a 5:55.5. They won back-to-back world championships in 2006 and 2007.

Mary is an eight-time member of the U.S. national team and led her crew to victory in the 2007 and 2004 world cup races in Lucerne, Switzerland. She began winning rowing competitions in high school, when she and her twin sister, Sarah, became star coxswains. Too small to be rowers, they loved the challenge of being on-the-water coaches in charge of a crew.

1. Winning an Olympic race and receiving a gold medal on the winner’s podium are without a doubt indescribable experiences. But for most Americans, those few minutes of glory wouldn’t be worth the years of sacrifice and commitment they demand. What specifically kept you going in pursuit of this dream?

Being great at something doesn’t come often in life. Rowing gives me the chance of being the best. I have stayed with rowing for 14 years now because it is truly a team sport where we actually rely on each other and need to be there for one another on our team to be successful. We’ve created a dynamic team atmosphere where it feels more like a family, and knowing that everyone on our team is committed to excellence makes the sport addicting. Plus when we get our boat moving well, there is nothing like it in the world.

2. You’ve described your leadership style as “cool under pressure, calm and relentless.” Tell us more about your role in the rowing team.

Being the coxswain means that I’m the voice of the boat. I have a microphone, and there are speakers in the boat so all the women can hear me. At the starting line of a major race like the Olympics, I have to be the calming factor. The rowers are filled with adrenaline, and sometimes that can affect our rhythm in a negative way. I’m in charge of getting the boat down from a quick start to a long, steady but relentless speed/rhythm. From there I tell them what it is going to take to win, and they are good enough to execute exactly that.

3.  How did your Adventist background influence your value system? Were there times when your beliefs were at odds with your goals?

Growing up Adventist gave me a strong work ethic, integrity, and a sense of accountability. I don’t think I have to give up my belief in being an Adventist and belief in God to achieve my goals. My  belief system has helped me achieve my goals and given me perspective on my athletic career to help me through stressful times.

4.  With half of the Adventists in North America over age 60, church leaders are recognizing the need to better engage young people in the vision and work of the church. As a young adult, what aspects of Adventism do you feel are relevant and which are not?

I think a lot of young adults feel judged by the older members of the church. I also feel like the older members of the church want to protect the church faith and make sure we don’t try to water down the message. I agree with them because I feel that a more celebration-style church service is not appropriate during the formal service. I love the fact that our church has Sabbath School before church so that there is more interaction and dialogue about our faith. I love going to vespers, especially when it is at a church member’s home. It helps me to bring God out of the church, off of the pew, and into my everyday life. As a young adult I feel like it is not so much Adventism being relevant or not to our lives but rather how can we fit Adventism into our overscheduled lives. Time management (or the lack thereof) makes young adults put attending church low on their list of things to do.

5.  You graduated from an Adventist academy but also attended public high school for two years and earned a communication degree at the University of Washington. In your estimation, is an Adventist education a worthwhile investment? Is there anything you wish Adventist schools would do differently?

If I didn’t have rowing in my life, I probably would have gone to an Adventist college. I think that an Adventist education is an amazing one, especially if you want to go into the medical field. For me, though, I’m glad I got out of the “bubble.” Without any disrespect, I feel like Adventist education teaches students about outreach to the world, which is amazing. However, I feel like some students are too sheltered and don’t know how to navigate the world without giving up their Adventist values. It is a fine line to walk when a 20-something Seventhday Adventist is trying to “fit in.” I would like to see a greater network and outreach to universities and public schools so young Adventists don’t feel like they have to leave the Church to experience the world and then come back when they start having kids and want to teach their children the values that they were brought up to have.

6. As a young woman of influence who has traveled all over the world, what do you see as the most significant issue(s) facing our nation and the planet today?

Selfishness. Me, me, me, now, now, now. A lot of people today forget to “Do onto others…” Throughout all my travels, I’ve learned that people are the same no matter where you are. Everyone wants love, and everyone has family that they care about. I just wish everyone would be more selfless and less selfish. 

7. As you look to the future, will rowing continue to be part of your life, or do you plan to channel your energy and determination in a different direction?

Rowing is a lifestyle, and it’s been my life for quite some time now. I would love to keep racing for the rest of my life, but I don’t know if that is going to be possible. I do have a dream to coach one day and help collegiate athletes learn to row and use rowing for life lessons. I think rowing teaches great leadership skills, teamwork, and accountability. All those skills are valuable to life and in the workplace. 

pp.26,27 ADVENTIST TODAY • NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008