Motivated by the energy and work ethic of his teammates, Andover Boys Crew Co-Captain Nick Demetroulakos ’19 worked his way up from the fourth boat his Junior year to earn a spot on the top boat come Senior year.
Demetroulakos said, “I think that particularly when I was a [Junior], there was a cool group of Seniors and I looked up to them. I started out in the fourth boat and a lot of the Seniors started out in the fifth or fourth boat and ended up in the first boat. And that was really cool for me because I had this mentality that as long as I worked hard, it would work out for me and I’d be a Varsity rower. So it was that example and mentality that really pushed me.”
According to Henry Hearle ’20, Demetroulakos is known for the way in which he balances his upbeat energy with a strong focus on the task at hand.
“He’s always very enthusiastic during warmups and while on the water. He’s always focused on the team and crew while he’s there, and he definitely reflects that in his attitude while he’s in the boat, said Hearle.
Demetroulakos displays his leadership through his focused and positive mindset during practices and races, according to Zev Barden ’20 and Hearle.
“He always has a constant humorous air about him; he’s a really really funny guy. He is always able to lighten the mood, but at the same time he has all the stern and serious leadership qualities that a captain would need. Off the water, he’s your typical Co-President. He’s really nice, friendly, and relatable. But once he’s on the water, he’s a monster,” said Barden.
Alongside fellow Co-Captain Jacob Hudgins ’19, Demetroulakos works to cultivate a light and comfortable environment.
Hudgins said, “I think we all show our leadership in different ways. Nick, in particular, shows his leadership by encouraging the younger people on the team, specifically. I think people look up to him, obviously, since he’s the Co-President, and so he definitely has a big role on leading the younger people on the team.”
Barden added, “I think he and Jacob really compliment each other really well because Jacob is super serious and dedicated, and Nick, while he’s also very dedicated, has a bit of a lighter approach to things. The team clicks really well with both of them and they click really well with the team.”
For Demetroulakos, crew has offered him a second home filled with competitive and uplifting teammates.
“I think that I’ve done a fair number of things here, but I cannot imagine what life would be like without rowing. Crew attracts, for some reason, the highest quality of people, in my opinion. There are so many people that are there, who just want to work hard and get better. They are all selfless, and they’re all generous and kind,” said Demetroulakos.
Demetroulakos continued, “They know when to push you and when you need support and it’s just an incredible team. Especially this year, I’ve been super busy and tired but no matter how hard I think I’m working, I go to practice and I see that these guys are really working hard. They constantly redefine what it means to work hard and they seem to push me more and more to places that I never thought I’d be able to go.”
Throughout his Andover career, crew has shown Demetroulakos the value of a work ethic and mindset constructed around commitment.
“The thing that’s so cool about rowing, is that like at a certain point, it’s just all about how much time you’re willing to put into it. You can be tall, you can be strong, or whatever, but you really have to put in the time. You just gotta push and that mindset cultivates in you. It helps you discover that next level of pushing through it and when you hit a wall, you’re able to just move past it,” said Demetroulakos
Despite the doubts entering season, Demetroulakos and the rest of B1 have shown their speed and promise.
“We have a team this year, particularly our first boat, and it wasn’t supposed to be fast. Our coaches said to us that we’re definitely not going to be as fast as last year’s first boat, but we’re so much faster than them,” said Demetroulakos.
“We haven’t won a lot of races this season but we’ve had some pretty close ones. We lost to Kent by four seconds and they usually smack us. Against Exeter, we lost by 2.5 seconds and we had no business being that close, especially without Jacob, who’s our fastest rower… I think we all just want to win and I think for the first time ever, I really believe that we can,” continued Demetroulakos.
