Rensberry.com
This book is a great story about the 1936 USA Olympic Rowing team in the Berlin Olympics. It goes into detail of each of the characters who made up that team, what they endured to make it there, and how they won.
I learned a lot about the sport of crewing, life during the Depression, time between the Great Wars, and the strength of character these men had.
I took away some life lessons, such as how crew was partly about confidence, partly about knowing your own heart. That is how life is.
The guys would cahnt MIB, MIB, MIB:
MIB - Mind in Boat - From the time an oarsman stepps into a racing shell until the moment the boat crosses the finish line, he must keep his mind focused on what is happening inside the boat. His whole world must shrink down to the small space between the gunwalls. He must maintain a singular focus on the rower just ahead of him ... nothing outside the boat can enter the successful oarsman's mind.
Rowing is encompassed with pain, not unlike the struggle of life.
Pain is part and parcel of the deal. It's not a question of whether you will hurt or of how much you will hurt, it's a question of what you will do and how well you will do it while pain has her wanton way with you.
And a reminder to be mindful, to stay alert, observant, and in constant awe:
The only time you don't see them (falling stars) is when you stop watching for them.