The art of rowing

By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications

Life is so hectic that it's easy to get overwhelmed. Finding interests you're passion about can allow for an escape - whether it's for minutes, hours or even days.

For rising sophomore Ally Connors, two interests, rowing and art, have allowed her to slow life down. They have also allowed her to tackle the fear of failure head-on… and become more confident because of it.

Connors first developed a passion for art at any early age.

"Starting from the eighth grade, I was put into a special track for art classes and I always made sure to have art in my schedule," she said. "I'm one of those people who can't really get my mind to shut off sometimes, but art has been a great way to just sit down, focus on something and make it as beautiful as I can.

"It works almost the same way as rowing because it gets me to focus on one thing, on the next stroke - whether a stroke of the pen or a stroke of the oar in the water."

Connors isn't majoring in art, but didn't want to lose her passion for the subject. Connors' two worlds collided this summer when she traveled overseas to take art and architecture classes in Italy.
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"I always wanted to be doing something artistic while I was at Lehigh and was scared that it wouldn't be entirely possible," said Connors. "Fortunately, my worries were for nothing."

After taking some art classes in her freshman year, Connors was pointed towards the Lehigh in Vicenza program. She was fearful of whether or not she'd be able to find time to get in every workout for the rowing team.

"I knew that I wouldn't have any slack when it came to getting in my workouts," said Connors. "Following this team's culture shift the past few years, the bar has seemed to get higher and higher. This summer, the workouts that were recommended really became just the bare minimum.

"My teammates are incredibly hard-working people. If I wanted to keep up, I couldn't miss a single workout."

Connors knew she couldn't miss a workout because in the sport of rowing, there is tremendous reliance on each other. The entire crew works in unison. There needs to be trust that the people in front of, and behind you, did the necessary work to put the collective crew in the best position to succeed.

That trust is a powerful force which led Connors to do everything she could to be at her best.

"If I were to take one light stroke or miss a workout, it could cost a place, medal or accomplishment from my teammates," said Connors.

With the support of Mountain Hawks' head coach Brian Conley, Connors went ahead with the trip despite some apprehension.

"I simply told Ally what we tell all of our athletes; they are here for the purpose of gaining as much knowledge as possible," said Conley. "If going to Vicenza was going to help her achieve her goals outside of rowing, then she should go absolutely. I trusted that Ally would the job done."

Connors took six credits, three in art and three in architecture. The students in the Lehigh in Vicenza program ranged from people in the major, to others new to drawing who were ready to learn.

A typical day included architecture classes inside of the Vicenza Cultural Institute, and drawing in the afternoon. Connors also went on walking tours of Vicenza and surrounding areas like Verona, Venice and Padua.

"We saw Carlo Scarpa and Palladio's architectural works, Carlo Scarpa being a more relatively modern architect that we studied," said Connors. "I also went on independent study tours with a group of fellow classmates and we went to Florence, Siena and Milan over the weekends. People also went to Cinque Terre and Barcelona."

As the trip progressed, something happened. Connors did not miss a single rowing workout.

"My fears went away when I started really managing my time, managing my workouts and not giving myself any excuses," she said.

Connors went into the trip nervous about drawing, but that fear went away as well.

"I was more into painting. I never found myself to be a very good drawer and I would always get very frustrated if I had to draw, especially in the style that Professor Viscardi told us, which was in pen with no pencil," she said. "You could not make any erases. If you made an error, you'd have to restart the whole drawing. I was really scared that I was never going to like drawing again, but the absolute opposite happened.

(8/17/2017) Ally Connors Art - Lehigh in Vicenza

"I fell more in love with art."

The transformation was obvious to Professor Anthony Viscardi.

"Sometimes, you have a student that has facial expressions that reveal what they are thinking and feeling. Ally courageously undertook my drawing technique and I could always tell when she was getting it or not," said Viscardi. "During that first week, Ally worked hard, but she still did not seem to feel that she was going to succeed. She nevertheless kept trying hard as she diligently studied her subjects.

"One day, I saw this smile transform Ally's expressions and from that point on, she 'got it' and worked hard every day as she got better and better. Each drawing built her confidence. Soon, she was drawing all time and enjoying this new way to see the world with unabashed wonderment."

The trip was all Connors could have hoped for, and more. Her passion for art grew, as did her passion for rowing. Being thousands of miles from home, Connors could have easily slacked off from her workouts if she wasn't so passionate about the rowing team and her teammates, but she still felt that connection, and pride, in not missing a single workout.

In the end, Connors took on the fear of failure and came out better for it.

"The fear of failure is a very real thing," said Conley. "We constantly about needing to take on the fear of failure in order be successful. Ally was terrified she was going to let someone down. I am proud that this trip is starting to making her realize the worst person to let down is yourself. I feel like she learned a lot about herself more than anything, and it's something that will only help build Ally into an even more confident leader within the team than she already is."

Connors' "aha moment" came halfway through her trip, much like a rowing race.

"When I looked around and said okay, I've done this and I can keep doing this, I wasn't afraid anymore," said Connors. "In rowing, a race happens in the blink of an eye. You can never control the conditions. You won't know how the race will go until you're about halfway through and you can feel if your boat is getting together or not.

"I had that moment when I was abroad."
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Connors would have only let herself down if she didn't tackle the fear of failure. It ended up being an experience she'll never forget, and a trip that will benefit her in the long run.

"I've grown through this experience, first in learning how to exist on my own in a foreign place," said Connors. "I learned a lot about balancing academics and athletics, but it went to another level because it was during an offseason, which is the easiest time to slack off. It also taught me that it's very important to give yourself absolutely no excuses.

"I believe this experience has really helped me understand who I am, and has helped me prove to myself what I'm capable of."

Connors is capable of big things, and Conley can't wait to see what she can do over the remainder of her career.

"Ally is incredibly committed to her goals and the goals of the team," said Conley. "I'm looking forward to hearing about the trip when she returns and seeing how fast she's going to move a boat this fall."

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Completed Event: Women's Rowing versus Patriot League Championships on May 15, 2026 , , 8th of 9

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Colgate on May 2, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Lake Wheeler Invite on April 24, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Knecht Cup on April 11, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Drexel and George Washington on April 4, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing versus Mountain Hawk Invite on March 28, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing versus Class Day Regatta on November 1, 2025 ,

Lehigh University Athletics

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