Rowing is, without a doubt, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It challenges me on every level – mental, physical, emotional – and I am endlessly in awe of those who row at elite level. But if that kind of hero worship weren’t enough, now I discover that elite athletes aren’t just good at their sport. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology seems to show that that they also excel at cognitive tasks. In a series of experiments the athletes were quicker at memory tasks than other mere mortals, and women athletes in particular had a facility for speedy mental agility.
So, tell me. You can row… but what else can you do? I want to hear all about your other skills, however random. Can you recite the Kings and Queens of England in under a minute? Do you hold the Guinness World Record for hula hooping? Can you throw a boomerang and actually get it back? Pick a lock? Recite Pi to 4,000? Or has rowing taken over your life that you literally don’t do anything else?
