Provided by: Elizabeth Bellomy

Bellomy smiles for a picture on her signing day.

Early on a Saturday morning, the boats are lined up, and the rowers take their places, following the instructions of their leader. The race starts and senior Elizabeth Bellomy rows as fast as she can. Her heart is racing as they get closer to the finish line. As she looks around, she notices that her boat is in first place, but this success is no new occurrence for Bellomy and her teammates. As she slows to a stop, her arms still burning, Bellomy embraces the amazing feeling of victory.

As a result of her efforts, Bellomy will continue her rowing career at the Division 1 level at Sacred Heart University (SHU) starting in the fall of 2025 with a Health Sciences major.

Ever since the fall of her sophomore year, Bellomy has dedicated countless hours to rowing, including practices, lift sessions, and regattas. Bellomy was first introduced to the sport by fellow senior Charlotte Aeder, who has committed to the University of Rhode Island (URI). Aeder, who has done the sport for years, told Bellomy that she should give rowing a try when the two were freshmen.

“Elizabeth has been a vital contributor to the team […] many of the younger girls look up to her as a role model. Not only is she an excellent teammate but a great friend,” said  Charlotte Aeder.

Even with Bellomy’s interest in sports, crew was something completely new to her. She danced for twelve years, did Cross Country, and threw javelin and discus in Track and Field. The friends that she made from the cross country and track teams moved to rowing the next year which motivated her to give the sport a try.

She quickly fell in love with the sport and now uses it to relieve stress and take a break from her busy world.

“I love being out on the water […] it doesn’t feel like I’m working out. It just feels like I can clear my head and I’m away from everyone while I can focus and be outside,” Bellomy said.

Her initial thoughts about rowing in college started after she performed better than she expected on a varsity 5k race. Her cousins were also trying to continue their athletic careers in college as well, and this made her think about what she wanted to do with her sport.

The recruiting process for college was a long process for Bellomy, as she had to reach out to schools and have conversations with them over the phone. Bellomy organized her college choices on a spreadsheet , spent spend a significant amount of time sharing her race times and regatta results with them, as well as calling and emailing coaches about new interests. Some other schools that she looked at were the College of the Holy Cross, Nova Southeastern University, URI, and the University of New Hampshire.

However, SHU was the college that she chose because of its modern campus, as well as its supportive and competitive rowing team. Sacred Heart had exactly what she was looking for in terms of a team environment.

“I want a group of girls who are going to be there for me and have my back, and build me up instead of tearing me down,” Bellomy said.

Bellomy takes challenging classes such as Psychology, and Human Anatomy & Physiology, which have helped her learn how to manage a rigorous athletic schedule as well as prioritize her academics.

SHU also has an impressive Science program, which is something that Bellomy plans to  explore.

Additionally, Bellomy is looking forward to taking part in a special opportunity. It is rare that high school athletes continue their athletic careers into college compete at the Division 1 level. In fact, Sacred Heart’s rowing team was second in their championship division.

Crew has been a been a big part of Bellomy’s high school experience and has helped her develop friendships as well as a strong work ethic. She looks forward to seeing where the next four years of her athletic career will take her.

“I’m so excited to be a part of a team again,” Bellomy said. “The team has grown a lot in the past couple years, so I’m just excited to see where that goes and what I can be a part of.”