Olympian Brooke Mooney Joins Princeton’s Hun School As Coach

PRINCETON, NJ — Olympic rower Brooke Mooney has joined the coaching staff at Princeton’s Hun School, officials announced.

Mooney, a member of the U.S. rowing team represented the country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and finished fourth (women's eight) at the games. She won on silver during the 2019 World Rowing Cup.

Mooney, who trains in Princeton, has already begun coaching for the spring season. Her responsibilities as Assistant Rowing Coach include assisting with all duties involving the rowing program including planning, organizing, and the implementation of training and competition, the school said.

On Feb. 17, Mooney met with the Female Athlete Network (FAN) at the school to share her journey to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, talk pre-game motivation, and offer some advice on being a female athlete.

Joining the United States Olympic rowing team wasn’t on her radar until her senior year of high school, Mooney said. Growing up in Vermont, she spent her youth training to be a cross country skier.

She later left the ski academy and tried her hand at rowing while at boarding school.

“I was a good cross-country skier, but I wasn’t really enjoying it,” she said. “I started rowing my senior year and my coach really helped me a lot with the college recruiting process. I applied to the University of Washington and they ended up recruiting me based on potential and turned me into a rower.”

Mooney continued to train at the collegiate level while at the University of Washington. During that time, she set the world record for fastest 2,000-meter ergometer time, putting her on the radar of the U.S. rowing team.

The athlete told FAN members that participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was an unforgettable experience.

She shared pointers on how to cope with injuries, the importance of patience, how to deal with pre-game jitters, and how to create attainable goals to advance one's athletic career.

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