Cristina Castagna

Nina was a 2023 CRCA First Team All-American and a 2023 First Team All-Pac-12 selection. Nina began rowing when one of her friends from high school convinced her to try it out. She thought it'd be nice to put some muscle on as a high school freshman. She showed up on her first day as a 4'10, 78-pound kid and watched practice from the launch as they explained the role of a coxswain to her. She was intrigued but significantly more interested in the rowing portion, so she asked her novice coach when she would get to learn to row. She looked Nina up and down and said, "Let me check on that." and never followed up again. She lists her college coach, Yaz Farooq, as one of her personal heroes. Her knowledge of this sport, as well as what makes a good coxswain, is virtually unmatched, and Nina owes much of her growth as a coxswain to Yaz. Farooq taught Nina how to be a good leader, a good teammate, but most importantly, she shaped Ninas perspective on rowing. She showed Nina the value of empowering women through this sport and bringing up those around you in the process even those on opposing teams. Nina has an immense amount of respect for her own success as a coxswain and as a coach and will always admire the way in which she's carried herself through both. Nina wants to continue the expansion of rowing as a spectator sport. There are a lot of regattas that do an incredible job of making an unforgettable experience out of watching rowing Head of the Charles, Henley on Thames, Windermere Cup, to name a few, and shed love to help create more of the same across the U.S. Having raced in those herself, Nina has seen firsthand the impact of the "theatrics," and she believes it's one of the best ways to spread awareness of and love for the sport. Nina said she is heavily biased towards her alma mater, but she truly believes the Montlake Cut during the Windermere Cup is one of the best courses to compete on. There are log booms lining the first 1250 meters of the course, where sailboats tie up, which leads into the infamous four-lane Montlake Cut for the last 750 meters. This stadium-like environment creates a noise like no other where crews are being cheered on from the moment they lock into the start blocks to the moment they cross the line. It helps to have world-class talent invited each year to bring the stakes higher and the fans louder. A truly one of a kind experience. She lists the women's eight at the 2012 Olympics as her most memorable Olympic moment. She remembers her high school coach showing her the race four years after it had happened, in an attempt to show her "the blueprint" for effective rowing. Nina has looked back at this race a lot since then and gets chills every time, watching their dominance and how determined they were during every stroke of this race.