Erin Cafaro Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Erin Cafaro

Cafaro in London, 2012

Personal information

Full name

Erin Jane Cafaro

Born

June 9, 1983 (age 42)
Modesto, California, U.S.

Residence

Princeton, San Diego, Berkeley

Height

175 centimetres (5 ft 9 in)

Sport

Country

United States

Sport

Rowing

Event(s)

Women's Eight

Medal record

Women's rowing

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2008 Beijing	Eight
Gold	2012 London	Eight
World Championships
Gold	2007 Munich	Coxless four
Gold	2009 Poznan	Eight
Gold	2009 Poznan	Pair
Bronze	2006 Eton	Coxless four
Bronze	2010 Karapiro	Pair

Erin Jane Cafaro (born June 9, 1983) is an amazing American rower. She is famous for winning two gold medals at the Olympic Games. Erin won her first gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She earned her second gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Both wins were in the women's eight rowing event.

Erin's Rowing Journey
See also

Erin's Rowing Journey

Starting Out in College

Erin Cafaro began her rowing journey in 2001. She started as a beginner at the University of California, Berkeley. She quickly became part of the NCAA team in her first year. Erin helped her team win the Women's NCAA Rowing Championships twice. These victories happened in 2005 and 2006.

In the summer of 2005, Erin joined the US Rowing U23 Team. She competed in the Women's 4- event. This competition was the FISA U23 World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Her team won a gold medal there.

Joining the National Team

In the summer of 2006, Erin started training full-time. She joined the US Rowing National Team. She won a bronze medal at the FISA World Rowing Championships in Eton, England, in 2006. The next year, in 2007, she won a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Munich, Germany. Both of these medals were in the Women's 4- event.

Olympic Gold Medals

Erin Cafaro represented the United States in two Olympic Games. She competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. She also competed in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. In both Olympics, she and her teammates won gold medals. They competed in the Women's 8+ event.

The 2008 Beijing win was very special. It was the first time the United States Olympic Team won gold in the Women's 8+ event. They won the full 2000-meter race.

World Championship Success

In 2009, Erin Cafaro won two more gold medals. She competed at the 2009 World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland. She won gold in both the Women's 2- and 8+ events.

This was a historic moment for US Rowing. It was the first time a Women's 2- pair won gold in an international championship. Winning two gold medals in two Olympic events in the same year was also a huge achievement. Erin and her rowing partner, Susan Francia, were named 2009 FISA World Crew of the Year. They were also named USA Today's Athletes of the Month. Her teammates and coaches also gave Erin the Female Athlete of the Year award for 2009.

Life After Rowing

During her training for the 2008 Olympics, Erin found CrossFit. This is a type of fitness training. She started using CrossFit workouts in her rowing program. After 2009, Erin began traveling the world. She became an expert for Concept2, a company that makes rowing machines. She taught CrossFit coaches and athletes how to improve their rowing technique.

Erin retired from rowing in 2012. She then worked for a sports supplement company. In 2014, she started coaching full-time for Concept2 and Unscared, Inc. In 2016, Erin and Brian MacKenzie created a sports performance company called Power Speed Endurance. Erin managed the company's operations for two years.

In 2018, Erin changed her focus. She moved into research and mental wellness. She worked as a Clinical Coordinator on a research project. This project studied fear, anxiety, and ways to help people. It was at the Huberman Lab at Stanford School of Medicine. Currently, Erin is studying to become a clinical psychologist. She is a doctoral student at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. She is specializing in neuropsychology, which studies how the brain affects behavior.

Erin Cafaro facts for kids

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