Chelsea Macpherson still remembers the feeling like it was yesterday. She was racing indoors in the fall of her sophomore year when she suddenly felt a numbness shooting down her leg. She kept feeling popping and clicking in her leg. The pain was unavoidable. She doesn’t forget it.

Macpherson has been with the SU women’s rowing team since 2006. That injury, a torn labrum, occurred in 2007. Since then, Macpherson has battled through multiple injuries to come back for a fifth year. Now in the twilight of her career, she has persevered for one reason: a passion for the sport.

‘Rowing is the type of sport you can do forever,’ Macpherson said. ‘I’m completely in love with it.’

Macpherson underwent hip surgery twice after tearing both labrums. One surgery came after that sophomore year. The second followed her junior year. Sometimes she rowed through the pain, but eventually she learned when to take a break. Macpherson remains a constant presence in the water for the Orange despite the setbacks. She is the longest-tenured member on the Orange.

Macpherson’s commitment to the program is even more impressive considering the potential she showed coming into college. Her freshman year, she was rowing on a varsity boat. When she suffered her first hip injury, she was rowing for the Canadian national team.

Macpherson’s progress was rapid, but the pain evolved to the point where she had no choice but to take a break.

‘My dreams were right there,’ Macpherson said. ‘I could almost taste them. But the pain would get worse every time I rowed.’

Macpherson decided that if she wanted to continue rowing, she needed to make sacrifices. She missed the entire 2009-10 season after her second surgery. But Macpherson remained with the Orange after being persuaded by her teammates to come back for a final season.

Aside from rowing as the No. 6 seat in a varsity boat, an essential spot in supporting the rhythm of the boat, Macpherson contributes to the team in both tangible and intangible ways, first-year SU head coach Justin Moore said. As the oldest member of such a young team, Macpherson leads by example, Moore said.

‘She knows rowing shouldn’t be taken for granted,’ Moore said. ‘She’s just happy to be there.’

Macpherson’s parents understand her commitment to the sport. Holly and Iain Macpherson have attended all their daughter’s races this season, including three trips to Boston. Since they are from southern Ontario, that’s no easy feat. Even though the team has struggled this season, finishing last in many of its races this spring, Holly feels the adversity has strengthened the team in preparation for the future.

‘Losing, even losing badly, creates character and determination,’ Holly said. ‘We don’t come to see results. We come to see the courage.’

And courage is what Macpherson has demonstrated repeatedly throughout her career. Aside from this courage, she brings a true commitment to Syracuse and her team, demonstrated by her decision to come back for a fifth year despite a coaching change and a daunting rebuilding process.

‘A lot of the girls that she knew had graduated, but she was devoted to her crew,’ Holly said. ‘Syracuse was good to her, and she wanted to show loyalty.’

Despite the grueling surgeries, the five trips to Colorado to see a hip surgeon and the eight-month recovery from each surgery, Macpherson remained. After college, she would like to continue rowing, but she knows she has to be careful about her health.

She said even though she loves the sport so much, she must be smart when the pain reoccurs to avoid continued injury.

Macpherson vows to stay in touch with the program after she moves onto graduate school at Columbia, and she is ultimately comfortable with the direction the program is heading in as she prepares to depart. Under Moore, Macpherson thinks the program could be ranked in the top 20 nationally within two or three years.

Moore said this potential for growth can be attributed in large part to Macpherson, whose actions and attitudes have helped shape the mentality of his young team.

‘She has a tremendous appreciation for being able to row, period,’ Moore said. ‘She’s not going to complain when it’s cold or rainy or windy. And it seeps to other members (of the team).’

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Published on April 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Kevin: [email protected]