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Newton Country Day held a Division I signing ceremony honoring Lindsey Fiske ‘26, who committed to continue her rowing career at the University of Tennessee.

Fiske began her rowing career in seventh grade, the year before she started at Newton Country Day in Grade 8. She has been surrounded by the sport for most of her life, as her father, Steven Fiske, was the head coach for Boston College’s women’s rowing team for 20 years. Along with her father, Fiske found inspiration from Bianca Hajer ‘25, who committed to rowing at Holy Cross last year. “Bianca was my teammate from seventh grade through eleventh grade, and we went through three different programs together. She showed me the importance of working hard when nobody’s watching. I have learned so much from her ability to persevere.”

Fiske noted that although committing to Tennessee was an exciting decision, the process was challenging as she had to overcome an injury and mental barriers: “I was beyond happy to be in a very strong position to get recruited for rowing. I was choosing between many competitive Division I programs, leaving me with a tough decision on my hands.” After touring Tennessee, the choice became clear, “I fell in love with the team and school, and it immediately felt like the right fit. I ended up choosing Tennessee because of the incredible resources it offers, the amazing coaches who share many of the values which I see in NCDS faculty, and the extremely high level of rowing, along with strong academics.”

When asked what advice she would give to younger athletes who hope to compete in college, Fiske said, “No matter how cliché it is, never give up. There will be many times when you may feel unmotivated or lose sight of your end goal. Find what you love the most about your sport, or ‘choose your why,’ as we call it in rowing. Work hard no matter what, and always remember your reason for doing it”

Fiske credited Newton Country Day faculty for preparing her for this transition: “With extremely caring and devoted teachers, I have been able to learn and overcome the challenges of time management that come with being a competitive athlete. They have given me so much support and have inspired me to be the best version of myself in the classroom. I look forward to continuing to live out the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria as I transition into college next year.”