Gardner Grabbed the Reins of Rowing as Valley Crew Captain

A little more than two years ago, Millie Gardner did not row one stroke of organized crew in her life. Yet in such a short span, she has made a tremendous impact on the Valley Regional crew team while utilizing the sport to make her a much more rounded and solid person.The Valley Regional senior did not grow up participating in sports until spring of her sophomore year, when her friends joined the crew team for the Warriors. From there, Millie was hooked and also joined the Blood Street Rowing Club in East Lyme. This spring, she was a strong senior captain and stroke seat for the girls' varsity 1 boat at Valley."Crew has been a door that I had let myself open. Through it, I saw physical fitness is so important for your mental health, too," says Millie. "I feel great about putting my all into something every day. It has also opened a new way for me to look at myself because I really pushed myself hard. All of the girls in the varsity 1 boat have also become my best friends."Crew invokes a cerebral component of competition that Millie certainly craves. She explains that every single maneuver she makes must be precise and part of a well-oiled and functioning machine that is the boat. When it all comes together and moves seamlessly through the water, it is a breathtaking sight to behold."I am not the most competitive person, but I love the intellectual aspect of the sport," says Millie. "You have to have a lot of control over your mind and body with every stroke. Every stroke you make affects everyone else on your boat, so I love the communal aspect as well. Everyone on the boat must be moving perfectly and in tandem."At her helm on the boat, Millie sets the pace and sets the moves in motion for her entire club. She explains that there are certain days when things break down and Mother Nature refuses to cooperate. Though it has just bolstered her skills for leadership and life by learning to go with the flow and focus on elements within her grasp."I love the fact that in the stroke seat you need to dictate what everyone behind you is doing," Millie says. "I can make sure everything is flowing well, which is nice. Some of the negative aspects of the position in the boat can be some days when the boat doesn't work well. You just have to focus on how to try and make things better. I try to put all of the negative things aside and focus clearly."There are no timeouts or intermissions on the seas for Millie and the Warriors, which makes the competition even more special to her. Through all of those various pressures, it has helped her garner a great understanding of how to stay cool and not sweat things so much."With crew, it is not a sport where you can stop what you are doing," says Millie. "You have other people relying on you bringing your all every day. It is a whole body experience, and I have seen a lot of growth in myself when it comes to putting aside anxiety and pushing through to completion with things."Valley crew Head Coach Ashley Malinovsky details that no matter all of the outside obligations Millie may have going on, she always brings her best and keeps the atmosphere quite upbeat around the team. She also knows Millie has precision and laser-sharp focus to keep everything running on point."Millie is very conscientious and thoughtful and always brings a positive attitude to practice. She puts a lot of pressure on herself, but I always know that I can rely on her when something needs to be done," says Malinovsky. "Despite her many other commitments, Millie has really grown into her leadership role this season. Teammates often turn to her looking for answers or advice. She keeps the team on track and makes sure that everyone is kept up to date. Millie has some exciting opportunities ahead, and I know that she will take full advantage of them. I look forward to seeing where she goes next."Being a squad and ship steward was something that was always on Millie's radar, so she saw her prior campaign as an opportunity to step up and show what she could bring to the table. She explains that now in reflection of her tenure with the Warriors, she was so happy that so many of her other teammates repeated her story: using crew to unlock an unearthed passion they did not know they had."I had always wanted to be a captain, so I really tried to bring the energy as a junior," Millie says. "It is a space that allows me to be really positive. Crew is a space where we accept those who have not done anything athletically previously. Seeing them find that new thing in crew and excel at it is really great to me. I just tried to provide a space for everyone to do that as a teammate and captain."