Esther Lofgren facts for kids
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| Birth name | Esther Ruth Lofgren | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 28, 1985 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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Medal record
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Esther Ruth Lofgren (born February 28, 1985) is an amazing American rower. She is famous for winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. This big win was in the women's eight rowing event.
Esther went to Harvard College and was a top rower there. She was part of the U.S. National Rowing Team eight times. She also won seven medals at the World Championships.
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Esther's Early Life and Start in Rowing
Esther Lofgren grew up in Newport Beach, California. She went to Mariners Elementary and Ensign Middle School. She was the best student when she graduated from Newport Harbor High School. In high school, she played volleyball and basketball. She even played with April Ross, who also became an Olympian!
Esther started rowing in 1998. She learned at the Newport Aquatic Center. An Olympic gold medalist, Xeno Müller, was one of her coaches. Esther helped her junior team make history. They qualified their boat for the National Youth Invitational for the first time ever.
She continued rowing at Harvard University. There, she was named a top college rower twice. She also joined the U.S. National Rowing Team while still in college. She won two gold medals in Under-23 events. She also earned a silver and a bronze medal at the Senior World Championships. After college, Esther decided to focus on rowing full-time. She moved to Princeton, New Jersey, to train with the USRowing Training Center.
Esther's Amazing Rowing Career
After her second year of college, Esther joined both the Under-23 and Senior National Teams. She won a gold medal and set a World Record in one event. She also won a bronze medal with her future Olympic teammate, Erin Cafaro. The next year, she teamed up with Genevra Stone to win another gold.
In 2008, Esther took a year off from college. She wanted to try out for the Beijing Olympic team. She was the very last person cut from the team. But she didn't give up! She then won a silver medal at the 2008 World Rowing Championships. She won another silver medal at the 2009 World Rowing Championships with Elle Logan.
After graduating from Harvard in 2009, Esther joined the USRowing Training Center. Even with two rib injuries, she earned a spot in the 2010 World Championship team. They won a gold medal in New Zealand. In 2011, she made history at the Henley Royal Regatta. She was the first woman to win two championship events there. She won both the Remenham Challenge Cup and the Princess Grace Challenge Cup. This meant she won in two different types of rowing boats! Later that year, she won another gold medal in Slovenia.
In 2012, Esther and her team set a new World Record. This was in the women's eight boat at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup. Then, at the London 2012 Olympic Games, she won the gold medal! Her teammates included Mary Whipple, Caryn Davies, Caroline Lind, Amanda Polk, Meghan Musnicki, Taylor Ritzel, Jamie Redman, Susan Francia, Elle Logan, and Erin Cafaro.
Winning the gold medal was a dream come true for Esther. She said, "It’s been a seven-year journey to make this team and all the hard work was worth it."
After the Olympics, Esther continued to compete. In 2015, she broke a World Record in indoor rowing. She completed a half-marathon on the rowing machine in just over 1 hour and 20 minutes!
Awards and Recognition
Esther has received many awards for her achievements. In 2009, she won the Athletic Excellence award from Radcliffe Crew. She was also named a top college rower in 2008 and 2009. In high school, she earned a National Merit Scholarship.
In 2012, Esther and her Olympic gold medal team received the Ernestine Bayer Award. This award is given by USRowing for helping women's rowing.
In 2017, Esther received the Yolanda L. Jackson Give Back Award. This award honors athletes who are great role models. It also recognizes those who help others. She received it with rugby star Phaidra Knight and water polo legend Brenda Villa.
Esther's Personal Life
Rowing runs in Esther's family! Her parents, Karl and Christine Lofgren, met because of rowing. They trained for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. While they didn't make the team, they decided to start a family. Esther was born the next year.
Esther shares her life and tips on her blog, "Harder.Better.Faster.Stronger." She writes about training, music, and what it's like to be an elite athlete. She loves reading, running, cycling, and photography. She hopes to run a marathon in under three hours and complete an Ironman triathlon. You can find more about her coaching and speaking events on her website, estherlofgren.com.
In 2015, Esther married Jacob Barrett. They have one child and now live in Germany.
Esther works as a Vice President at The SPECTRUM Group. She also served on the Board of Directors for USRowing. She was also a representative for rowers on the United States Olympic Committee's Athlete Advisory Council. Esther is also involved with the Women's Sports Foundation. She works hard to help more girls and women get involved in sports and rowing. She does this through advocacy, public speaking, and social media.
See also
In Spanish: Esther Lofgren para niños
