Legends in the Fleet: Esther Lofgren
Every boat in the NAC fleet has a story, and some carry the names of athletes whose journey started right here on the Back Bay.
The Esther Lofgren, a Hudson 8+, is named in honor of Olympic gold medalist and former NAC junior rower Esther Lofgren.
From NAC Junior to Olympian
Esther began rowing at the Newport Aquatic Center when she was just 13 years old. A Newport Beach native and Newport Harbor High School student, she grew up in the NAC Junior Rowing program, eventually becoming a team captain and helping the women’s junior eight qualify for the National Youth Invitational for the first time in program history.
From NAC, Esther went on to row at Harvard University for Radcliffe before earning a place on the U.S. National Team and competing at the highest level of the sport.
But even as rowing took her across the country and around the world, NAC remained part of her story. Esther has referred to the Newport Aquatic Center as her “home base since I started rowing,” returning to train on the Back Bay during her elite rowing career.
From the Back Bay to Olympic Gold
In 2012, Esther represented the United States at the London Olympic Games, racing in the U.S. Women’s Eight.
That crew crossed the finish line first, earning Olympic gold.
It’s a pretty incredible path: from a 13-year-old learning to row at NAC to standing on top of an Olympic podium.
The Esther Lofgren Joins the Fleet
Four years after Esther’s Olympic gold, her name officially became part of the NAC fleet.
V8 Crew Classic 2018
The Esther Lofgren Hudson 8+ was raced for the first time at the San Diego Crew Classic in 2016, beginning its own chapter in NAC rowing history.
And over the years, the shell has become part of the stories of the next generation of NAC rowers.
One of those athletes was Cierra Bird, now a coach at NAC. As a junior rower, Cierra raced the Esther Lofgren many times, including at the 2018 San Diego Crew Classic, where her crew won the B Final of the Women’s HS Varsity 8+ Gilman-Mulliken Cup.
There’s something pretty special about that full-circle connection: a boat named after an NAC junior who went on to become an Olympic champion, raced by another generation of NAC juniors, including an athlete who would eventually return to the program as a coach.
Today, the Esther Lofgren carries more than athletes down the race course. It carries generations of NAC history – the athletes who came before, the coaches who once sat in those seats themselves, and the juniors who are writing the next chapter every time they push off the dock.
Esther Lofgren: NAC junior. Olympian. Gold medalist. And a name that continues to be part of the NAC story.