Mack Carr is big, as in 6’6 250 lbs big. Traditionally these are seen as advantages in being a successful athlete, and while today the Pine Bush sophomore is realizing that success thanks in large part to his size and strength, his journey to athletic achievement was anything but straight forward.

“Mack tried other sports like soccer and Karate after never demonstrating affinity for traditional sports for larger people like basketball and soccer,” his father Paco Carr said. “His size certainly worked against him in both sports and he never felt comfortable going all-out for fear of really hurting someone, especially in Karate.”

Mack came to rowing courtesy of his sister Lara who as a student at Cornell a few years ago had encountered rowing and noticed that the guys on the team were all around Mack’s size and build.

Mack soon became connected with the Hudson River Rowing Association (HRRA) in Poughkeepsie, and as they say the rest is history.

Since that time, Mack has thrown himself into his new sport, and for the first time, has found a perfect outlet for his size and strength, and best of all? He’s found immense aptitude for the task.

In fact, Mack has already participated in the prestigious Olympic Development Program (ODP) which sets up camps across the country and invites the best rowers from across the six regions the country is divided into. Beyond the regionals is nationals which Mack will be partaking in in July, in Sarasota Florida.

“All of this couldn’t be possible without the support of the HRRA,” Mack said.

“The association has really gone above and beyond and we as a family are so appreciative of the fact that they always seek opportunities for me to row with people who are better.”

The training is rigorous, up to 4-5 times a week 2-hours a day, and the races long, growing to up to 6k in the fall and starting at around 1.5k in the summer.
Rowers at the community level tend to have a broad age range, while competitive rowers such as Mack and up to the Olympic level, tend to range in age from their early 20’s to early 40’s. At the community level, including HRRA, there tend to be a lot of volunteers and bigger teams which helps keep the cost down.

Ultimately it’s the sense of community and team that appeals most to Mack. “Its as much mental and physical,” Mack said. “My favorite part about it really is the sense of being part of something bigger than yourself.”