Stroke Athlete's Journey Leads to Huskies, Having Rowed at Duke and Cambridge
Megan Lee, Former Cambridge Rowing Star, Steers Washington Women's Varsity Eight in 2025 NCAA Championships
Megan Lee, a Duke graduate who spent last year competing in the prestigious The Boat Race at Cambridge University, will be rowing for Washington in the 2025 NCAA championships. A Natick, Mass. native, Lee is thrilled about this unexpected turn her life has taken.
Lee's journey to Washington began last summer when she came to the university to train with a national team development boat preparing for a race in Henley, England. Under the guidance of Huskies women's coach Yaz Farooq, she fell in love with rowing in Seattle, leading to an opportunity she never thought possible.
"I've had so much fun," said Lee. "I didn't even think I was going to get this opportunity, and now I'm training to compete for a national championship. That's what I'm going to remember about this year – everything that we were doing was to try to win an NCAA championship."
After finishing her last exam at Cambridge, Lee celebrated, thinking she would never take another test again. Little did she know, life was about to take another significant turn.
Following the success in Henley, Farooq approached Lee with the possibility of joining the Husky rowing team. Having been at Duke during COVID, she had an extra year of eligibility, and the compliance team confirmed this opportunity. Convincing Lee wasn't difficult, as she had fallen in love with Seattle and the prospect of a year of rowing.
Before rowing at Duke, Lee was an excellent long-distance freestyle swimmer. However, after her times began plateauing as a sophomore, she turned to rowing at her teacher's suggestion. Instantly captivated, she aspired to make the U.S. national team and compete in the Olympics.
After three seasons at Duke and earning a degree in international comparative studies with a certificate in markets and management, Lee felt she needed another year of development in rowing. This led her to scout Cambridge and Oxford.
The highlight of her year at Cambridge was participating in The Boat Race, a historic event dating back to 1829 for men and 1927 for women. As the stroke in the Cambridge women's boat, she helped her team win by seven boat lengths.
Now, as a member of Washington's top boat all season, Lee particularly enjoys rowing in the stroke seat. She leads the rhythm of the boat, ensuring a sustainable pace, and responds to other boats' moves when necessary.
Ranked No. 3 in the nation behind top-ranked Stanford and Texas, the Huskies have often outperformed their ranking in the NCAA championships under Farooq. Lee believes the team has what it takes to win a title.
"This team has trained so, so hard in the winter and the fall," said Lee. "We have such a good base that we can rely on, and I know we will continue to gain speed to the finish line, which I think is a secret weapon for us."
The results of three races (varsity eight, second varsity eight, and varsity four) will determine the team's standings in the championship. The finals for all events take place on Sunday.
Every boat and every member of the team play a crucial role in the race, as Farooq emphasizes. "At the end of the day, we're one big team, and whatever seat you're in, embrace it and make the boat go as fast as possible."
The Husky women's rowing team has already demonstrated exceptional prowess, sweeping all seven grand finals in the Big Ten Rowing Championships and winning the conferencing's automatic berth to the 2025 NCAA Rowing Championships.[2][3] While the specific details about Megan Lee's role in the team's qualification process are not available, it's clear that she is an essential addition to Washington's championship-contending roster.
Seattle's Mariners fans might be excited to learn that Megan Lee, Washington's newest rowing sensation, admires sports beyond the water. When not training for the NCAA championships, she acknowledged her fondness for the Seattle sports scene, noting, "I do enjoy watching the Mariners when I get a chance." Additionally, as the Husky women's rowing team aspires to win a national title, Lee is optimistic about the impact sports camaraderie could have on their journey, declaring, "At the end of the day, we're one big team, and whatever seat you're in, embrace it and make the boat go as fast as possible."
