As the spring rowing season is in progress, one passionate athlete in particular stands out in the crowd. Junior Dylan Norton has been rowing since seventh grade, but one injury nearly destroyed his participation in the sport.
The injury came his sophomore year. Norton landed poorly post a jump from height causing a back injury. The landing made his upper body compress down on Norton’s spine. The injury lead to 135 days in a back brace and one less year of high school rowing for Norton
A teammate of Norton’s, junior Zoey Streeter, remembers how the team connected with Norton throughout his injury.
“We were all there for him,” Streeter said. “We made a poster for him, and a lot of the varsity guys visited him at the hospital when the [beginning] of his accident happened. We always tried to include him whenever we could.”
Two things attracted Norton to rowing. First, the environment in which he competes, the great outdoors. Norton needed an escape from the inside air and the walls of a school.
“I’ve always been an outdoorsy person,” Norton said. “It’s such a different change of pace from being inside of school all day. I needed an outlet to get my energy out.”
The rowing team to Norton is more like a second family, which is why the second thing that lured Norton into rowing was the team itself.
“The team is most of the reason I row,” Norton said. “They would make me posters and get well soon [cards] with all of their signatures. I’m friends with many of them, and they are easy to talk to. Some of them I’ve known forever.”
One of Norton’s coaches, Lauren Holben, sees the importance of the team in him every day. His support and assistance ensure that he cares and provides for the team.
“[He] encourages all of his teammates to do their best regardless of what that ‘best’ is,” Holben said. “He’s always one of the first people offering to help out, mentor a new rower, or cheer on a teammate.”
With Norton’s back injury last season, he had to miss out on some big aspects of rowing. Working out and being in the boat was not up for discussion, but Norton found a way to still be part of the team, despite being injured.
“I would still go to rowing events, and show up to support the team, everyone was really happy to see me, and they were sad I wasn’t rowing with them,” Norton said.
A close friend and teammate of Norton’s, junior Jackson Kay, saw how Norton had hidden blessings from his injury.
“It helped him see how important sports are to him, and it seemed to make him a lot more motivated to work harder and get better, he definitely improved a lot after it,” Kay said.
Recovered and hungry for success in his junior year, Norton’s work ethic in practice shows in his races. He won gold at the Forest Hills Central indoor sprints in March, and a number of medals since. Norton’s coaches see his positivity and how hard he works every day.
“[Norton] comes to practice every day focused on improving in some way, whether it’s speed or technique or just being a positive influence on others,” Holben said. “He is a positive impact on any boat he’s put in and that comes to him naturally.”
Post recovery and hard work, medals are on his mind, but the team still remains number one.
“I just want to be there, and be supportive of the team, because they have always been supportive of me,” Norton said.
