By Erin Himes, Swimming World College Intern
Every athlete faces adversity at some point in their career, but few overcome obstacles as daunting as recent Pepperdine graduate Amanda Rowe. Undergoing three brain surgeries over the course of her collegiate career, Rowe’s story is inspiring to all those impacted by it. Described by teammate Kathrine Kuhlmann as “one of the most selfless people I have ever met,” Rowe has impacted countless teammates with her dedication. Her story not only shows her incredible will, but also the immense power of a strong team bond that helped one of the Waves’ strongest leaders push through a rough beginning to her collegiate career.
The Syndrome
Photo Courtesy: Kathrine Kuhlmann
Rowe was born with a genetic condition called Dandy Walker syndrome, a rare condition which causes a buildup of fluid in the brain. She had a shunt put in to help her cyst drain properly when she was young, and had no issues after the age of two. However, she started to feel sick one morning after a swim practice her freshman year at Pepperdine, but didn’t think anything of it. “I just assumed that, wow, that was a really hard practice and I’m really out of shape,” Rowe recalled. The sickness, which she described as “like concussion symptoms,” carried on for days, causing concern that eventually drove her to seek help. She had her first surgery the next morning to have the shunt removed altogether.
The Fight to Return to the Pool
Photo Courtesy: Jeff Golden
Returning to the water after Christmas break, Rowe was able to begin recovery, swimming a few 25s each day. After about a week, however, she got sick again. This time they ran “more tests, better tests, to see what was actually happening.” After discovering that there were different compartments of the cyst, surgeons went in to make it one big cyst and help it drain properly. Following her second surgery, she was questioning her will to keep swimming or even stay at Pepperdine. “I was struggling with if I can’t swim, then why would I be at Pepperdine,” Rowe said. “It just wouldn’t have been the same without swimming.” What made the difference for her was the support of her teammates, who gained insight into her surgeries and supported her through them, making the sport fun for her again.
One more smaller surgery in the fall of her sophomore year led Rowe to take a redshirt year, where she drove by herself to every single swim meet to support her team, a perfect example of her intense dedication to Pepperdine Swim and Dive. While her unwavering support motivated her teammates, their hard work in the water did the same for her. It’s hard when “everyone else is working hard and getting better and you’re stuck not doing anything,” Rowe recalled, but watching her teammates thrive at Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference Championships in 2014 made her want to compete again more than ever. “Being back in that environment really made me realize why I swam in the first place and made me push hard to get back.”
Amanda’s Lasting Impact
Photo Courtesy: Jessica Mosbaugh
Rowe’s dedication has not gone unnoticed. Since her final surgery, she has achieved multiple lifetime bests in her college swimming career, been a part of Pepperdine’s best team finish in six years, received a bachelor’s degree in nutritional science this past Saturday, served on Pepperdine’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and received Pepperdine Athletics Maurice Hilliard Award for Christian faith and leadership this year. She has also deservedly been nominated for the Honda Inspiration Award, an award presented by Women’s Collegiate Sports Awards to a female athlete who has overcome hardship and returned to collegiate athletics.
While Rowe attributes her will to keep swimming to her teammates, her teammates attribute much of their success to her. Teammate Laura Graziano describes the impact she has had– “Amanda’s resilience has been an inspiration to the team and the greater Pepperdine community. She is one of the most dedicated, driven, and hardworking teammates I have ever known.”
Overcoming immense health issues was not easy for Rowe, but through her overachieving nature and strong will, she was able to not only get through her swimming career, but also leave a legacy of inspiration behind. Kuhlmann summed up Rowe’s character best– “After all Amanda has been through, it would be easy for her to give up, but she’s a fighter.” As Amanda Rowe’s successful undergraduate journey at Pepperdine wrapped this weekend, it is safe to say that the fight has been well worth it.
Great inspirational article by Erin Himes. She
certainly has left her mark on the whole team and
all of Pepperdine University.
?
Thanks for sharing stories like this. Swimming is so much more than fast times.