Wisconsin rowing legend Carie Graves passes away
December 20, 2021 | Women's Rowing
Hall of Famer, Olympic and national champion, Wisconsin native and women's rowing pioneer left an unequaled legacy
USRowing Story || Row2k.com Story || Madison Magazine
MADISON, Wis. -- An inaugural member of the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991, Wisconsin women's rower Carie Graves passed away on Sunday, Dec. 19, at the age of 68.
A pioneer in the world of rowing and women's athletics, Graves was part of the first national championship for women's sports at Wisconsin when her and her teammates captured the 1975 National Women's Rowing Association varsity eight title in Princeton, New Jersey. Team captain for UW's first two years as a varsity sport in 1975 and 1976, Graves went on to represent the United States in the women's eight for the first women's rowing competition in Olympic history, winning bronze in 1976 in Montreal. She also made the 1980 Olympic team during the U.S. boycott, then won gold with the women's eight at the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The United States Olympic Committee honored her as rowing's Female Athlete of the Year in both 1981 and 1984.
She also competed at six world championships, winning silver in the women's eight in 1975 as part of the "Red Rose Crew." She won silver medals in 1981 and 1983 in the eight, as well, and competed in 1978, 1979 and 1982.
A three-time inductee into the National Rowing Foundation Hall of Fame with all three of her Olympic crews, Graves followed up her rowing career with a head coaching career that included Harvard/Radcliffe and as the first head coach at both Northeastern and Texas. She spent 10 seasons at Northeastern, leading her crew to a program-best fourth place in the eight in 1998, before leading the Longhorns for 16 years.
She earned a degree from Wisconsin in English in 1976 and a master's degree in educational administration from Harvard in 1985.
HEAD COACH BEBE BRYANS
Carie was a force of nature, which makes it hard to put into words the affect she has had on women's rowing. She walked on to the rowing team at Wisconsin and went on to win the first national championship for women at Wisconsin, Bronze at the first Olympics that allowed women's rowing, and a Gold eight years later, the first for American women. So I guess that TRAILBLAZER would be a good word, for starters. She was the role model of her generation and for all that has transpired since then, the fierce crazy boatmover who made everyone better just so they could keep up. She didn't set out to be an icon, didn't really care to be, but became one anyway because of who she was, every day.
Carie was a Badger to the core - tough, stubborn, ornery, kind, loyal and a total badass. She was also a loving mother to her son and a caring friend to many. Every person she rowed with was a sister (including her real sister 😊), and she pushed everyone equally, like a boss. She was a pioneer for women's rowing in the United States and a mentor to thousands of women who walked into her boathouses. She was a Badger, through and through.
We have lost a giant of our sport, and a woman who was not afraid to go after what she wanted. I think that's the way she would like to be remembered.
FORMER BADGER ROWER AND HEAD COACH SUE ELA
Teammate, and colleague, Carie Graves's passing marks a sad moment in the fifth decade of the Wisconsin women's rowing program. Those of us who began the program in the spring of 1972, will remember Carie when she joined in the fall of 1973. She was big in every way - tall, strong, confident and determined. Carie would be elected President of the UW Women's Crew Club in 1974. She led our club as we raised money, sought recognition and began to recruit teammates. Facilities, equipment and resources were scarce in those early years, but Carie's fierce approach to training and her spirit of competitiveness set the tone for us to succeed. Carie stroked the 1975 varsity to a national championship, and helped establish a standard and tradition for future Badgers who followed.
Though Carie will not be physically present for the Wisconsin Women's Rowing 50 year anniversary celebration in the fall, her legendary spirit and tenacity will forever be remembered and honored by all of Wisconsin's rowing family.
MADISON, Wis. -- An inaugural member of the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991, Wisconsin women's rower Carie Graves passed away on Sunday, Dec. 19, at the age of 68.
A pioneer in the world of rowing and women's athletics, Graves was part of the first national championship for women's sports at Wisconsin when her and her teammates captured the 1975 National Women's Rowing Association varsity eight title in Princeton, New Jersey. Team captain for UW's first two years as a varsity sport in 1975 and 1976, Graves went on to represent the United States in the women's eight for the first women's rowing competition in Olympic history, winning bronze in 1976 in Montreal. She also made the 1980 Olympic team during the U.S. boycott, then won gold with the women's eight at the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The United States Olympic Committee honored her as rowing's Female Athlete of the Year in both 1981 and 1984.
She also competed at six world championships, winning silver in the women's eight in 1975 as part of the "Red Rose Crew." She won silver medals in 1981 and 1983 in the eight, as well, and competed in 1978, 1979 and 1982.
A three-time inductee into the National Rowing Foundation Hall of Fame with all three of her Olympic crews, Graves followed up her rowing career with a head coaching career that included Harvard/Radcliffe and as the first head coach at both Northeastern and Texas. She spent 10 seasons at Northeastern, leading her crew to a program-best fourth place in the eight in 1998, before leading the Longhorns for 16 years.
She earned a degree from Wisconsin in English in 1976 and a master's degree in educational administration from Harvard in 1985.
HEAD COACH BEBE BRYANS
Carie was a force of nature, which makes it hard to put into words the affect she has had on women's rowing. She walked on to the rowing team at Wisconsin and went on to win the first national championship for women at Wisconsin, Bronze at the first Olympics that allowed women's rowing, and a Gold eight years later, the first for American women. So I guess that TRAILBLAZER would be a good word, for starters. She was the role model of her generation and for all that has transpired since then, the fierce crazy boatmover who made everyone better just so they could keep up. She didn't set out to be an icon, didn't really care to be, but became one anyway because of who she was, every day.
Carie was a Badger to the core - tough, stubborn, ornery, kind, loyal and a total badass. She was also a loving mother to her son and a caring friend to many. Every person she rowed with was a sister (including her real sister 😊), and she pushed everyone equally, like a boss. She was a pioneer for women's rowing in the United States and a mentor to thousands of women who walked into her boathouses. She was a Badger, through and through.
We have lost a giant of our sport, and a woman who was not afraid to go after what she wanted. I think that's the way she would like to be remembered.
FORMER BADGER ROWER AND HEAD COACH SUE ELA
Teammate, and colleague, Carie Graves's passing marks a sad moment in the fifth decade of the Wisconsin women's rowing program. Those of us who began the program in the spring of 1972, will remember Carie when she joined in the fall of 1973. She was big in every way - tall, strong, confident and determined. Carie would be elected President of the UW Women's Crew Club in 1974. She led our club as we raised money, sought recognition and began to recruit teammates. Facilities, equipment and resources were scarce in those early years, but Carie's fierce approach to training and her spirit of competitiveness set the tone for us to succeed. Carie stroked the 1975 varsity to a national championship, and helped establish a standard and tradition for future Badgers who followed.
Though Carie will not be physically present for the Wisconsin Women's Rowing 50 year anniversary celebration in the fall, her legendary spirit and tenacity will forever be remembered and honored by all of Wisconsin's rowing family.
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