Molly Bruggeman ‘10, is preparing for the biggest adventure of her life — the 2024 Paris Olympics. Chosen as one of only 13 women to make the team, Bruggeman reflects on how she got to this high point in her long standing rowing career.
“Words can’t exactly describe the feeling of chasing and achieving a dream that you’ve had for most of your adult life,” said Bruggeman.
“It’s been quite a few years since I was walking the halls of CJ, but even then I felt I wanted to go far with the opportunities I had. I was lucky enough to be playing two sports at CJ, rowing and volleyball, and had the right people around me to push me to be the best at both.”
Molly’s rowing journey began with the influence of another CJ family — Trish and Mike Miles, who encouraged her to join the Dayton Boat Club. In rowing she found her passion, which led to a rowing scholarship at the University of Notre Dame and eventually opened the door to the national team.Since 2014, she has made 11 national teams and now qualifies for her second Olympic team.
Reflecting on her path, she gives this advice to current CJ students, “Don’t let your dreams remain dreams — it requires perseverance and hard
work, but there is always a path forward for those willing to look for it.”
As she prepares for the Paris Olympics, Bruggeman is most excited about racing for a medal.
“To bring home hardware from the highest level of competition in the world would mean so much to me and the people who’ve gotten me here.”
Photos (Credit: Row2K)
Originally published in Spring Vision 2024