By Marv Kohlbeck

Columnist

“Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”

Those are the words to a popular music round that Kevin and Cherie Zogleman used to sing to their sons in years gone by. Now, sons Tim and Josh are teenagers, and as an old expression goes, “A lot of water has gone over the dam.”

Kevin, a retired career soldier and an accomplished Boy Scout leader for many years, has shared many outdoor experiences with his two sons. Hunting and fishing top their love of outdoor sports, followed closely by camping and hiking. All are tied to their experiences gained in scouting. Tim received his Eagle Scout award three years ago, and Josh followed suit by receiving his this year.

With the background of being an honor graduate of Pittsville High School in 2015 along with his accomplishments in football and baseball, Tim was accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison last August with ambitions of pursuing a future in medicine or to follow in his father’s footsteps with consideration of also becoming a career soldier.

Tim’s father suggested that he also consider participating in an outdoor sport such as rowing. As Wisconsin has a very competitive rowing team and a high rate of walk-on participants, Tim decided to try out for the freshman squad.

Surely his strength and physique played a role in Tim being selected for the freshman team. Out of 70 who competed, 35 were selected, and with the season just ended, he was ranked fourth of the eight starting crewmen.

Tim explained the sport of rowing by saying, “A rowing participant needs to have strong arms and legs and a mindset to maintain endurance. A competitive boat or racing shell seats eight athletes and a leader or commander known as a coxswain who shouts commands to team members as they stroke their oars in the water. Most contests take about six minutes to complete the 2,000 meter or 2,187 yards.”

He went on to say, “We practice on Lake Mendota in Madison and compete mostly against Ivy League schools such as Yale and Harvard plus Syracuse, California, and Washington. Those two western schools are most competitive as they recruit heavily in Europe where athletes compete all year.”

In conclusion Tim added, “I love the sport of rowing plus all the benefits of traveling around the USA by plane and the special treatment we get. Closer to home we have traveled by bus to Chicago, Indiana, and Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin. As a result of this sporting venture, I have gained many new friends. Dorm life boils down to a lot of studying to maintain my grades as rowing practice involves one and a half hours of rowing practice five days per week in the spring. I’m enrolled in summer school courses and continue to stay in shape by rowing on a regular basis.”

As the rowing song states, “Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.” Tim Zogleman is living that dream.