Fall 2014 alumni spotlight series meghan robinson

alumni spotlight series fall 2014

a journey of

DISCOVERY How one grad is embracing life in Edinburgh after an incredible career as a varsity athlete at Queen’s University.

With a contagious smile and boundless energy, Meghan Robinson graduated from Mulgrave School in 2010 after being named the graduate with the “Most School Spirit” by her peers. Meghan admirably balanced her academic and varsity rowing career at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario., and graduated with her B.A. Honours and on the Dean’s List in the spring of 2014.

We caught up with Meghan as she settles into her new life studying her Master’s in Outdoor Education in Edinburgh, Scotland, and she shared with us her reflections on the past four years.

Q&A

MEGHAN Robinson

Mulgrave School Class of 2010| Interviewed by Chloe Scott | November 2014

Hi Meghan! Thank you for taking the time to catch up with us. Can you explain to our readers what motivated you to pursue your post-secondary education in drama at Queen’s University?

Mr. Glen Pope had instilled within me a passion for the theatre early on in middle school, and that passion has continued throughout university.

I became very interested in the technical production and carpentry aspect of theatre, and after my first year of my undergraduate degree at Queen’s, I decided that Drama was what I wanted to pursue, along with Global

Development Studies and Indigenous Studies, which were my minors at Queen’s University.

Global Development Studies and Indigenous Studies sounds fascinating! Did you have any mentors while at Mulgrave who helped you in choosing such a path?

Mulgrave teacher Mr. Lee Hardy has always been both a mentor and an inspiration to me, and he has instilled within me the mindfulness, insight and care to look at the world in a different way.

He has allowed me to understand that one

person can in fact change the world – something I truly believe he is doing.

In addition to your academic success, you are an accomplished rower. How did you get your start in rowing?

I learned about rowing through my dad, as he used to be a rower on the Canadian National team. One day, I decided I wanted to try it too!

When you were a Mulgrave student, how did you cope with juggling your academic programme with your training schedule for rowing?

With very little hours in one day, one either develops discipline to fully make use of these few hours, or crashes. I learned to be disciplined with my time and to get my work done in the hours that were not taken up by school or rowing, and efficiently enough that I could also have time for friends and family.

Lining up in the starting gates beside USA, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand whilst wearing the Canadian unisuit was definitely a highlight for me. Then to hear the umpires call “Canada” at the start of our world championships final was an extremely memorable moment in my rowing career.

Can you share with us a time that you faced adversity in your sport?

My third season whilst at Queen’s I unfortunately did not listen to the obvious warning signs my body was trying to give me, and I fractured my rib while rowing. It is quite a common injury among rowers, as the rotation of the body during the stroke and the amount of force put on the oar can sometimes be too much for the body to handle. It was a horrendous time for me, as I was at the peak of my rowing career. The injury forced me to have to stop rowing for the entire Queen’s rowing season. I found it very difficult to stay positive and remain relaxed, knowing how much training I was missing, especially when I was so close to reaching my dream of being apart of the U23 National Team.

“Mulgrave teacher Mr. Lee Hardy instilled within me the mindfulness, insight and care to look at the world in a

different way .”

Did this change at all once you reached university?

This changed quite significantly in university, as my academic workload increased drastically, as did the hours I spent training. This meant that, unfortunately, social aspects of my life had to be sacrificed. These aspects were sacrifices I was willing to make at the time in order to develop the skill and fitness level that was required to be a part of the National team.

As a member of the Canadian National Rowing Team, your hard work and dedication to the sport has been put to the test in competition. Can you share some of your competitive highlights with us?

That sounds like a very challenging time. How did you overcome such a difficult situation?

It was a very challenging time, and I definitely had dark days, but I tried to focus on the future, and do everything I could to make myself stronger, more fit. perhaps most importantly, maintain a positive outlook in order to work towards recovery and set myself up for future success.

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You have now moved ‘across the pond’ to study in Edinburgh. What will you be studying?

I am currently doing my Master’s Degree in Outdoor Education at the University of Edinburgh.

What does your recent move mean to your rowing career?

Although rowing was a huge part of my life, it was time for me to move on and move forward. I had begun to find that I was moving away from the person I wanted to become while rowing, and I needed to return back to my values and dreams that had somewhat been lost whilst training at an elite level. Although I still hope to row recreationally when back home, I have not rowed since moving to Edinburgh.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go” T.S. Elliot What advice would you give to student-athletes who are considering pursuing their sport at the varsity level?

Always remember that your family, your friends and your mental health come first.

Never let the dark days of training let you forget who you are or what is important to you.

“Always remember that your family, your friends and your mental health come first.”

What is your motto?

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.

Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”

Henry David Thoreau

Do you have any additional words of wisdom that you would like to share with the school community?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Meghan Robinson November 2014 As interviewed by Chloe Scott Know an amazing Mulgrave grad you would like to see featured? Contact alumni@mulgrave.com.