Sydney Twitchell, a 17-year-old from East Brainerd, is tall with broad shoulders.
Through middle school and high school, Twitchell tried to find a sport that fit her skills and disposition. She cycled through tennis, volleyball, soccer, swimming and more.
Then, on a whim, she reached out to a local, independent rowing team in late 2024 and quickly found her niche.
“I had been telling everyone, ‘I need a sport. I need a sport,'” she recalled in an interview.
With a strong upper body and long legs, her body type was just right for the mechanics of rowing. Her coach at Chattanooga Junior Rowing knew almost immediately Twitchell had potential.