ITHACA, N.Y. – While many dream of the chance to take the big stage, few ever get the opportunity to turn that fantasy into a reality.  Senior Emily Morley of the Ithaca College women's crew/sculling teams, however, has a chance to do just that as the Bahamian native will compete for a chance to represent her country in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil March 22-24 at the FISA Americas Olympic Qualification Regatta in Valparaiso, Chile.

Morley, who began sculling just two years ago at the urging of her coaches, was first introduced to the idea of competing for a spot in the Rio Games when her father, who was an Olympic swimmer in the 1980s, had a conversation with head coach Becky Robinson and sculling coach Beth Greene about what it would take to compete in the Summer Games.

"My dad, David, brought it up to them at our small boat championships and we kind of just ran with it," said Morley an integrated marketing and communications major.  "After that, we just did the research for the entry process and realized that it was something we could do.  Knowing the details really helped us develop a plan."

Competitive rowing may be popular here in the Unites States, but it has yet to become mainstreamed in the Bahamas.  With no centralized body to oversee the sport, and the bulk of participation taking place at the club level, Morley would the first rower, male or female, to represent the Bahamas in a rowing competition, which makes her quest all the more personal.

"I would be the first female rower to go, but also just the first rower to go to the Olympics and that in itself would be huge," Morley acknowledged.  "I think it would just create more opportunities because it could bring a younger crowd to the sport.  If I do qualify, it could help [our clubs] get more competitions and potentially colleges would come down and row for their spring breaks.  This could help put the Bahamas on the rowing map."   

Morley will look to qualify for her spot in the 2016 Rio Games March 22-24 in Chile.  The regatta will take place on Laguna de la Curauma with the top six earning a bid to the Olympic Games this summer.

While qualifying for a spot in the most elite race on earth is Morley's immediate goal, the four-year member of the crew team understands that competing at Rio could have a long-lasting positive impact on the growth of the sport in and around the Bahamas – something she openly admits she wants to be a part of.

"My dream is to go back to the Bahamas when I'm older and start my own boat club," said Morley.  "I think that would create so many opportunities for people that are interested in the sport there.  Maybe one day the sport will grow so much that we can have our own nationals there."

Her dedication and drive have sparked a significant reaction here on campus as well.  With snow on the ground and Cayuga Lake iced over, training for a sport that takes place on water can be daunting this time of year, but Morley's teammates and coaches have become such an important compliment to her training that they have taken up extra workouts to keep the Olympic hopeful focused.  Her teammates are even chronicling Morley's journey by authoring posts to the team's blog.

"My team is so supportive of me," Morley explained.  "A bunch of them are doing extra workouts with me and have become a part of my mental training group.  I think it would almost be a victory for them as well.  Seeing me succeed would let them know that they helped me get to Rio and that would help to further build upon the [Ithaca College] crew reputation."

Since becoming a varsity sport at the College in 1983, the Ithaca College women's crew team has become one of the premier rowing programs at any level.  The Bombers have featured 30 All-Americans since 2000 and captured back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005.  Ithaca's alumni are no strangers to the national stage either as numerous former members of the program have gone on to compete for the U.S. National team and in the Olympic Games. 

"We are training people to be their best and we're not letting the title of Division III get in our way to achieving national success," said Becky Robinson, who has piloted the team for 22 years after competing for the Bombers from 1985-87.  "Both Beth [Greene] and I have experienced some higher level rowing and we bring that into what we do while coaching."

Ithaca's mark on the sport is clear with several former student-athletes having moved on to successful stints with the U.S. National team.  Mary Obidinski and Taylor Goetzinger were each members of the U.S. National Team while Peg Mallory and Meghan Musnicki competed in the Olympics after having built their foundations at Ithaca.  Musnicki is considered one of the world's best after having earned 13 medals on the international stage including 10 gold medals.

Both Robinson and Greene, who is in her sixth year with the program, know what it takes to row at the highest levels having been a part of the U.S. National team.  Robinson was a member of the team in 1991 and nearly had the opportunity to represent the United State in the Olympics, while Greene competed in several national team time trials.

"It takes daily hard work and grind to do what Emily's trying to do," explained Robinson, a two-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Coach of the Year honoree. 

"I firmly believe that those who are willing to commit to training will undoubtedly get better at this sport.  Having the right physiology is an advantage.  You've got to have the lungs and the aerobic capacity to go the distance of a race.  Emily has all that and is just getting a taste of what training is like at the international level and I really hope that this experience gets her to commit to four more years of training at the next level."

Morley's pursuit has not only provided her teammates with a sense of pride and motivation, but it has instilled in Robinson a deep-rooted excitement that reminds the long-time coach why she loves being a part of the journey.

"I'm super excited," remarked Robinson.  "Taking things to the next level is what I leave them with, so when they graduate and then they use this as a springboard on to the next step is really exciting for me.  It's new ground.  It's something new, and I feel like after 20-plus years of coaching, having a new challenge and something that I'm familiar with at the same time is just really exciting."

Robinson hopes that Morley's intensified training regimen will have some unanticipated benefits as well.

"It's given a lot of energy to the team this year," shared Robinson.  "They're kind of like 'Yeah, I'm going to up my training' and 'I'm going to support her' and the energy is at a real high.  This is something that everyone is recognizing as a unique opportunity so everyone is jumping to be a part of it."

Morley's mission hasn't always been without tribulations, however, as the senior has had to overcome hardships while also balancing her studies with training.  Harsh conditions in the water, adjustments to equipment, forgoing her social life and not knowing what to expect when she gets to Chile have all been hurdles that she will overcome to accomplish her goal, but Morley admits that throughout this voyage, she's never been alone.

"Every day in the boathouse, I know my teammates are pulling for me and I'm pulling for them," said Morley.  "Knowing that subconsciously really pushes me.  They're my family and I wouldn't know how to train without them.  My coaches know how to motivate me but also how to kind of snap me back into a focus.  They never bring me down and always build me up."

When all is said and done, Morley will be able to say that she gave it everything she had and hold her head high regardless of the outcome.  She can take pride in knowing that what she's trying to accomplish is something the entire IC community is proud of.

Stay up-to-date with all of Morley's progress by following the Ithaca College Crew blog.  The department's twitter account, @BomberSports, will also feature results when possible of qualifying races in Chile.