By Jimmy Allinder
It was one of the most difficult decisions Glorianna Perrotte ever made, but she felt certain it was the right one.
Following what could only be described as a banner season as the No. 1 pitcher for the Monroe Township High School softball team, Perrotte decided to forgo her senior year this spring. Instead, she has chosen to row for the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA), an elite crew organization that shares facilities with the U.S. national teams.
Since Perrotte made that commitment last fall, she has become the stroker for one of PNRA’s eight-person boats and has been teamed with some of the top up-and-coming female rowers in the country. Her ability convinced the University of Miami to sign Perrotte to a letter of intent last fall, and she will head south following graduation from Monroe in June.
What transpired since Perrotte was introduced to crew is a testament to how a person’s life can change dramatically for the better despite difficult circumstances.
“I was introduced to softball when I was 5 years old and had a lot of success despite [encountering] arm trouble when I reached middle school,” she said. “I ended up having surgery, and that shut me down for a whole year.”
After Perrotte rehabbed her surgically-repaired shoulder, she resumed pitching again and was pain-free until her sophomore year in high school. That’s when she began experiencing discomfort in the same (pitching) shoulder, which sent her back to an orthopedic surgeon to be re-evaluated.
Surgery wasn’t an option this time, but the doctor suggested Perrotte try something different: take up rowing to regain arm strength.
Anxious to return to competitive athletics (she also played volleyball in the fall), Perrotte signed on with PNRA and launched into crew’s intense training regimen. The results were startling, as Perrotte transformed her arm into a throwing machine and gained 5 miles per hour on her windmill pitch.
From a statistical standpoint, Perrotte finished 2015 as one of the top hurlers in the pitching-rich Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC). Her win-loss record was 18-2 with a 1.69 earned run average in 114.2 innings of work. She struck out 125 batters and yielded only 26 runs against quality opponents.
Perrotte transitioned to summer travel softball with the intention of preparing for this spring. But the thought of rowing lingered in her mind, and she found herself reflecting more and more about how much she enjoyed the sport.
“Whenever I was on the water, I had this sublime feeling come over me and it felt great,” Perrotte said. “I searched deep in my heart and realized I needed to make a decision and make it now.”
So, instead of playing fall softball, she opted to return to rowing, and it didn’t take long for her to realize crew was what she wanted to do for the rest of her athletic career.
Perrotte admits walking away from softball was gut-wrenching at first because she always put her team before herself. Ultimately, she concluded it was time to do what was best for her future.
Perrotte’s future assures her she will row for an NCAA Division I program and receive a college education from a quality institution. In addition, Perrotte has competed at a number of prestigious events and has benefited by training with U.S. National team members, coaches and Olympic rowers.
The same way Perrotte arduously practiced throwing a softball is how she goes about rowing. A typical day includes running before she and her teammates even jump in a boat. Depending on the direction of the wind, they work on technique drills to get in sync and row together. That is followed by pieces focused on developing quickness, power and explosive leg drive. When weather doesn’t cooperate, rowers mimic pieces indoors on an erg machine.
“Crew is a sport where every athlete competes for his or her fellow teammates,” she said. “You push yourself beyond any limit you believed possible and work through exhaustion, pain and even sickness.”
Now that she’s back on the water, Perrotte has made significant lifestyle changes like getting more sleep and making better food choices.
“I’m pretty much eating like a marathon runner now,” she said.
Asked what finally convinced her rowing was the right thing to do, Perrotte said, “We all have to make difficult choices in life but in the end, I didn’t want to regret never pursuing the sport I believe is my true calling. I can’t imagine not rowing again. This is now my passion and what makes me happy.”
