United Row captivates audience at 2024 Robert H. Brooks Lecture in Sports Sciences

April 5, 2024

The Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute was thrilled to host United Row on March 26 for a sports science lecture in Freeman Hall, where two Clemson alumnae spoke to students, faculty and community members about their upcoming 2,800-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean. 

At the lecture, Jenny D’Anthony and Anna McLean, former members of the Clemson rowing team, previewed their row across the Pacific. Attendees of the lecture were able to hear what exactly goes into the estimated 60-day trip and the challenges and thrills that come with it.

Competing in the World’s Toughest Row competition in June, D’Anthony and McLean discussed the equipment they use on their boat, their food and water systems and the mental fortitude it takes to complete the challenge. 

“We felt so welcomed and taken care of during our stay and really appreciate everything the Institute did to make it a success,” D’Anthony said. “Everything was well organized and done professionally, really speaking to the nature of work the Institute does.”

At the end of the lecture, RHBSSI Interim Director John DesJardins presented United Row with a $5,000 check to sponsor the team. D’Anthony and McLean have already said that the money will go toward SAT phones and a BGAN device for the June expedition. In return, the Institute will have a sticker on United Row’s boat during the journey across the Pacific. 

“The institute was excited to bring to campus two remarkable young alumni, to share their Clemson journey, and engage us in their remarkable challenge to row across the Pacific,”  DesJardins said. “Anna and Jenny define the Clemson spirit in their pursuit of excellence, and we are proud to support their cause.”

“We hope to continue to promote and share the great work at the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute,” D’Anthony added. “We are incredibly excited to see where it goes and thrilled to be a part of it.”

Along with students and faculty in attendance, Clemson rowing head coach Stephen Frazier Wong and IPTAY Assistant Director of IPTAY Major Gifts Jordan Roper were also present. Partnered with IPTAY and the Hear Her Roar Campaign, United Row has worked closely with Roper to raise awareness and financial support for Clemson’s women student-athletes.

“As a fund raiser, who’s also a former student-athlete, being able to work with Anna and Jenny and United Row, and them deciding to choose Hear Her Hoar as the campaign that they want to fundraise for, is special,” Roper said at the lecture.

---

The morning of the lecture, D’Anthony and McLean visited Clemson rowing practice as the sun rose earlier that day and later partnered with the Clemson Department of Bioengineering for a lunch and learn. 

McLean and D’Anthony were members of Clemson’s rowing team beginning in 2014 until they graduated from Clemson in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In 2022, McLean, from the United Kingdom, and D’Anthony, from the United States, formed United Row.

Those interested in supporting United Row may visit the team’s website. Any sponsorship or donation will go directly to supplies for the boat or fundraising efforts for the Hear Her Roar Campaign. D’Anthony and McLean will begin their journey across the Pacific on June 8.