About The Lightweight

I'm a full-time vegan lightweight rower living and training in New Milford, CT, about an hour north of New York City.

I started rowing in 2003 for the Berkeley High School Yellow Jackets. I continued my rowing career in college at Princeton University, where I competed at two NCAA championships and one IRA championships. I completed my senior year with a EAWRC Sprints course record and an IRA silver medal as stroke seat of the lightweight varsity eight.

After college, I took a year off of rowing. I spent the time eating, laughing, coaching and getting married to my husband, Dan, the wonderful photographer behind most of the images on this website.

In 2012, I rejoined the rowing world at the California Rowing Club in Oakland, CA. After eighteen months of gaining fitness, Dan and I moved to Connecticut so I could put all my focus into training.

I'm currently training out of the GMS Rowing Center, under Coach Guenter Beutter.

Visit my race results page to keep tabs on where I'm competing and what I've accomplished. If you have any questions, ideas for blog posts, or would like to support me on my journey, please send me an email at lightweighteats@gmail.com or find me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook!

Tax-deductible donations in support of my training can be made at http://www.nehprowing.org/

Michaela Copenhaver
The Lightweight

(formerly Piquant Prose)