College: (Mizzou) (University of Central Oklahoma)
Major: (Accounting) (Psychology and Forensic Science)
As cowbells ring from the sidelines and boats glide along the water, Carter and Izzy Munroe cheer each other on. The twins have been rowing together for Saint Louis Rowing Club (SLRC) since the spring of their sophomore year. Carter said that it took a bit of convincing from Izzy, who joined the team a year prior, to take on the sport himself, but he said he has never looked back.
“Seeing my sister at a high level [in rowing] showed me what I could be capable of doing,” Carter said. “We share the same blood and the fact that she could grow and improve so much in one year convinced me that I could do the same.”
With her brother on the team, Izzy said that rowing became even more enjoyable from her freshman year. From assessing particularly hard practices on long car rides home to cheering each other on during regattas, Izzy said that their relationship as siblings has never felt stronger.
“We’ve definitely gotten a lot closer since Carter started rowing,” Izzy said. “We didn’t really talk as much before and I realized just how much we have in common. Sometimes I forget he’s my sibling [since] we feel more like friends.”
Dean Hook, the assistant girls coach for SLRC, said that the Munroe twins are extremely dedicated to their sport. While neither of them had a captain title on the high school team, Hook said that they demonstrated their leadership in earnest.
“They’re always celebrating their teammates and each other’s accomplishments,” Hook said. “Getting everyone to work together is very important [in rowing] and it really motivates the whole team.”
[Rowing] will allow me to do what I love in college, but also allow myself to see what I am capable of.
— Carter Munroe
Each twin credits the other for how far they have come on their rowing journey. Izzy said that, thanks to Carter’s encouragement, she earned a D2 rowing scholarship at the University of Central Oklahoma. Carter, on the other hand, said that his sister’s dedication to the sport motivated him to revive the rowing club at Mizzou, which has been inactive since 2018.
“I hope that by bringing the club back, I can leave a footprint behind even after my time at Mizzou,” Carter said. “[Rowing] will allow me to do what I love in college, but also allow myself to see what I am capable of.”
