After nearly seven minutes of continuous rowing, Emma Kirk ’26 said she felt a mixture of exhaustion and pride as she crossed the finish line of the World Rowing Under 19 Championships. The races took place in Trakai, Lithuania, from Aug. 6 to Aug. 10.

 Competing alongside three United States teammates in the B final of the women’s quadruple sculls, Emma helped her boat beat China by several seconds. Emma’s boat finished less than five seconds behind Lithuania, securing 11th place overall.

 “I was happy to have beaten China, but it was less about beating another boat, and we were more focused on how we improved each race,” she said. “Our first race at Worlds was far from our best, and as a boat, we knew we could do a lot better. In the semis, we improved but still we knew we had another gear. In the final, we had our best race yet, and that improvement throughout was one of our goals coming into racing, and we were happy to have achieved that.”

 Emma qualified for the U19 national team after trying out in San Diego, California.

 “For a long time, I’d thought about being on the U.S. team,” Emma said. “I have two friends who rode the double at Worlds in Paris two years ago. So, I’d been thinking about it for a while.”

 Emma trained in San Diego for six weeks ahead of the competition.

 “I sacrificed my whole summer to be away in San Diego,” she said. “I didn’t see my family or my friends or anything.”

 Emma has takeaways from her time in Lithuania.

 “We were working with people from all over the country toward something really hard,” Emma said. “I also learned that pressure is a privilege: It’s about handling stress and using it to perform your best.”

 Though Emma doesn’t row for the school’s team due to her busy schedule with her club team, the Cambridge Boat Club, Head Crew Coach John Cotter was impressed by Emma’s achievements.

 “Having the genetics doesn’t mean reaching an international level is going to happen,” Coach Cotter said. “You still have to have the willingness, the monomaniacal drive to want to be that level. And, for some people, it becomes a little daunting: They don’t like the intensity of the competition. For other people, it’s like they’re starting to drink out of a fire hose. They can’t get enough of it, and they realize that, ‘If I can do this, then I might be able to do the next level, too.’”

 Emma started rowing in middle school, following the footsteps of her parents, who both competed in college.

 “We could tell then that Emma really liked rowing, and it was something that she was really passionate about, and I think she knew that, too,” Emma’s twin sister, Louisa Kirk ’26, said. “As a family, we weren’t super surprised by Emma qualifying for the championship, especially given her past success.We were just super excited for her. It was something that was inevitable and going to happen.”

 Emma’s rowing schedule with the Cambridge Boat Club consists of  practices six days a week and additional strength sessions.

 “She never complains about it,” Louisa said. “I’ve never heard her be like, ‘I don’t want to go to practice.’ Even when she’s sick, my mom has to make her stay home.”

 Emma has a unique attitude toward her success, Louisa said.

 “We’ve baked a few cakes to celebrate for sure. I feel like I talk about it more than she does because she acts like it’s just another day, but as a family, we support her and celebrate her. She’s not planning celebrations.”

 Emma’s friend, Lauren Pond ’26, said she was excited by Emma’s achievements.

 “I’m so impressed with her, and it’s inspiring me to push myself, and it’s just cool that someone that I could know so personally is doing something that seems so crazy and amazing.”

 Emma maintains a balance between rowing and being with her friends, Lauren said.

 “No matter how busy she is, she makes time for herself and to hang out with friends. It’s not just rowing all the time.”