On the ladder to the highest podium of the Olympic games, grit often comes as the supporting factor. American rowing veteran Kara Kohler boasts of having such quality. The 33-year-old veteran has recently earned her third Olympic qualification, easily bagging the top mark in the US Olympic Trials’ single sculls event. Now she is surely eyeing to turn her Tokyo Olympic performance upside down. 

In 2021, Kara Kohler ended her disheartening Olympic journey after claiming ninth place. The situation was much worse in the Rio Olympics in 2016. But between 2016 and 2024, the former Cal rower has gone into certain changes that are still helping her to continue. 

Kara Kohler’s affirmative changes throughout time 

Starting as a high school swimmer, Kara Kohler could never think of accepting rowing as her sport. Rather, she was determined to enter the University of California as a swimmer. But a lack of standout prowess in swimming had created a barrier for her admission. However, after receiving a friend’s suggestion, Kara Kohler had agreed to join the rowing team and thus gained her admission there. Soon, the junior had received the fruits of her late choice- a bronze medal in the quadruple rowing event of the London Olympics. However, in the 2016 Rio Olympics, things seemed to be the opposite. 

In the Rio Olympics selection, she couldn’t make it into the ultimate team. After facing that low, she decided to change her event from quadruple to single sculls. Another timely decision was to accept the tutelage of veteran German coach Bernhard Stomporowski. As a result, the London Olympics Medallist earned back-to-back World Championship call-ups in 2018 and 2019, including a bronze medal on the 2019 occasion. Soon she found herself on the Tokyo Olympic chances. But there came roadblocks again. 

Apart from the Pandemic scare, Kara Kohler had to defeat Rio Olympics medalist Gevvie Stone in the trials. Eventually, Kara won her ticket to the Tokyo occasion after defeating Stone. But in Tokyo, Kara Kohler faced her heartbreak. Despite that, the determined American sportsperson had yet to keep her bow down. 

The Olympic dream still lives 

After the Tokyo Olympics, her most notable success came in the 2023 World Championships. There, she earned fourth place. In the same year, the veteran could claim the third position in the single sculls event of World Rowing Cup II Regatta. On the same occasion, Kara earned the bronze medal in the double sculls event in 2022. To sum it up, the legend showcased her impression in every battle, while eyeing for the Olympics. One of her students, Jack Woll, claimed something big on that part. 

“I think just how resilient she is and how she approaches stuff is really inspiring, she recognizes when a situation is difficult, but she always finds a way to approach it on her own terms to come back from the setback,” he expressed. On the eve of the Paris Olympics, those features seem to be Kara Kohler’s soul saver. 

Read more: Paris Olympics 2024: 37-Year-Old California’s Rowing Sensation Sets Podium Sights in Second Appearance