Senior Ava Kucko has been part of McLean High School’s crew team for the past three years, and is set to participate in her fourth and final season. Her sister, sophomore Sophia Kucko, joined in freshman year, excited to compete with her best friend.

“I wanted to try out a new sport to see if I enjoyed it,” Sophia said. “My sister did crew and it seemed like a lot of fun.”

Ava’s passion for crew began in eighth grade when she joined a camp over the summer. Her immediate love for the sport motivated her to continue developing her skills and eventually join the McLean team the following year.

Two years later, Sophia joined McLean’s crew team and was thrilled to be rowing with her sister.

“My sister and I are very close,” Sophia said. “The best way to describe our relationship is supportive. We cheer each other on and support each other no matter what.”

Competing side by side with a sibling can also cause some tension during the season. The drive to win can be overwhelming and the need to be better than others is a common concept. But the Kucko sisters have never let competition get in the way of their relationship.

“There is a little bit of competition between the two of us during the winter season,” Ava said. “But as soon as the spring season starts, our competition towards each other shifts to other teams. It’s something we both enjoy doing so we get to bond over it.”

There can be a lot of physical and mental strain on crew participants.Early practices and weekend competitions leave teams with a tight schedule, often pushing the rowers to their limits. Luckily, this stress has a positive impact on Sophia and Ava, and has further strengthened their relationship.

“Being on the crew team together has been one of the best experiences,” Sophia said. “We’ve gotten closer to each other and we get to celebrate all the victories together.”