University of Tennessee Athletics
Brenna Randall Travels Across the Border to Experience Rocky Top
March 09, 2020 | Rowing
By Grace Whiteley, UTsports.com
Student-athletes travel from all over the world to come to the University of Tennessee, and senior rower Brenna Randall is one of them.
Randall is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada, and she has been making an impact on the rowing squad since her arrival.
"I had no idea what Tennessee was or if it was even a state before being recruited here," Randall said. "On my visit, I really loved the whole atmosphere here at UT and Knoxville as a city. I really loved the people I met. The coaches were really welcoming. I loved the river and pretty much the whole facility for the rowing program. It was a really great experience when I came, and it persuaded me to come down here."
"Brenna is one of those rowers who is an absolute joy to coach," head coach Lisa Glenn said. "We recruited her because she was a great fit for Tennessee, had a strong athletic background, and was still early enough in her rowing career that improvement potential was high. Brenna has improved as an all around rower and teammate each year of her career and is a great example of what can be accomplished as a Lady Vol rower with hard work and support from the Tennessee program."
Never visiting the South before, Randall had brand new experiences at Rocky Top from the beginning. One of the biggest differences for her was the landscape of East Tennessee, as she was never near mountains in the maple leaf country.
"I also think the people were so welcoming," Randall said. "I mean, Canadians are nice, too. But it is just very different here. Everyone will say 'hi' to you and start up a conversation, which was pretty new to me."
But even though there were new aspects to life for Randall, there was also a set of obstacles that came along with moving to a different country to obtain a college education.
"The biggest challenge moving down here was being away from my family," Randall said. "I had never lived away from home, let alone in another country. But having my teammates and the support system we have down here really made it a lot easier.
"But, I really love Knoxville. All the students are so into athletics, and it is really awesome. I also love barbeque. I love all the food options we have down here."
Rowing hadn't always been Randall's focus in life because she used to run track in high school. The reason she even began the unique sport was because both of her parents used to row and she wanted a way to get more endurance in her training for track, so her dad suggested rowing.
"Then I ended up liking it a lot more than running, so I just got into it," she said.
Once she made the switch, Randall never looked back and found success in the sport. Recently, she competed at an even higher level by representing Canada at the U23 World Championships last summer.
She was selected based on performances at the 2019 Speed Orders and the 2019 NextGen National Team Selection Camp held earlier in the year in Victoria, British Columbia.
"Being able to compete at the World Championships was awesome," Randall said. "I competed for Canada before, but I had never been to the World Championship. It has definitely been the most competitive and crazy atmosphere I have been in. Being able to represent Canada was really an honor."
The senior competed in the coxed four event, and in the final round, she sat in the three seat to help her crew finish fourth with a time of 7:08.700.
"Brenna's experience with the U23 National Team was transformative for her," Glenn said. "Now, in her senior year, she is enjoying every minute and sharing her passion with the team in small ways every day. At practice, you can find Brenna getting down to business for her own performance and then staying afterward to encourage and support her teammates with laughter and smiles along the way."
After competing at that high of a level, Randall believes that was one of the best moments in her racing career thus far.
"It was the first time I had a maple leaf on the blades, and it was the first time racing against different countries," Randall said. "It was just really surreal to be at that level. I never really thought I would make a national team, let alone race at a World Championship. It was awesome to take the first couple strokes from the start and just know that I was in it."
Her time as a Lady Vol has also been successful during her four years here. Off the river, she was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and Big 12 Academic All-Conference First Team in 2018 and 2019.
During her sophomore season, Randall posted a third-place finish in the Grand Finals of the Big 12 Championships in the 1V8+ race. In the same year, she was also part of the crew that took first in the 1V8 Petite Final at the Women's Sprints and first in the 1V8 Final at the Clemson Invitational, earning the crew Big 12 Boat of the Week accolades.
"It has been a great experience being a Lady Vol," Randall said. "Before coming down here, I had never been on a team. So being surrounded by so many great girls and all that support and team comradery has really been awesome."
With rowing being such a unique sport, Randall finds the thrill in the challenge of training hard for a six-minute race and staying focused on what the end goal really is.
"I love racing," Randall said. "I love going fast. And the feeling you get when you're in a good crew working together and gelling well – you can just feel the boat pick up. And when you get really moving quickly, it's like you are gliding over the water."
But with the hard work over the years, there are also several unique benefits that have come along the way in her collegiate rowing career.
"The coolest thing I have done since being a Lady Vol is traveling across the country and representing Tennessee at some of the biggest regattas in the country," Randall said. "It is an awesome experience."
During her senior season, Randall hopes to break personal records and push herself harder every day. Overall, she is hoping to be a leader be for the team and looks forward to some solid performances from the crews and the team as whole.
As for what's next for the senior, Randall plans on keeping it international and is going to Oxford Brooks University in England to get her master's degree in International Relations and also continue rowing.
When she departs for yet another country, Randall will always remain a Lady Vol and will carry the experiences she gained on Rocky Top.
"What I have learned most about being a Lady Vol is just balancing life, school and athletics," Randall said. "I have also learned the team aspect of it all and being there for your team when they need you. Just knowing that—vice versa—when you need them, they will be there and have your back."
Players Mentioned
