Photo By Staff Sgt. Zachary Bumpus | U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Rebecca Esselstein pauses to reflect on her longtime dream to...... read more read more
There was no room for error, and time was running out. In 10 days, the Oxford University Women’s Boat Club would challenge Cambridge University at the Cancer Research UK Boat Races.
The pressure was mounting - but the team held fast, and stayed motivated.
“Out there on the water it’s all about my team,” said U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Rebecca Esselstein. “I think rowing is perfect sport for anyone in the military. It’s both individual and team oriented in that you have perform at your best so that the entire crew can perform at their best.”
Pushing beyond her limits is not a foreign concept for Esselstein. After graduating the Air Force Academy in 2015, at the top of her class, the astronautical engineering major set her sights on a PhD in Astrophysics though a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.
“Coming to Oxford, in general, was a huge switch,” she said. “The Academy is a bubble and Oxford is a bubble, but they’re completely different bubbles. So going from the structure at the to the total flexibility and freedom of a PhD program at Oxford was a bit of an adjustment last year.”
The chilled air rushed past Esselstein as she pulled her oar through the water, in time with the coxswain commands.
“I found I really missed some of that structure,” she continued. “I really missed competition and athletics, so I tried rowing - and got addicted to it.”
Originally a runner, Esselstein was named the 2014-15 Mountain West Conference Student-Athlete of the Year - the first member of the track and field and cross-country teams to earn the honor. She said the challenge of pushing herself athletically and academically has been with her ever since she was a child.
“I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut,” she said. “It’s been my dream.”
A dream that was nearly lost during her junior year at the Academy.
“I’m very nearsighted,” Esselstein said. “I was going to get corrective surgery so I could become a pilot. They called me in the middle of finals week and told me my corneas were too thin for the surgery.”
Feeling shattered, but not overcome, Esselstein looked at backup plans that could still allow her to pursue her dream of going into space. She began exploring engineering, as well as the Rhodes Scholarship application process.
“I was trying to adjust to the idea that I might not be a pilot,” she said. “It actually helped me apply for the UK scholarships - because I was hopeful that they would develop a surgery in a few years that could correct my vision.”
Fortunately, a year after she was told the surgery was too risky, Esselstein was able to get a waiver to fly - due to her vision being correctable.
“Looking back, it was a time where I just had to pick myself up and keep moving,” she said. “It’s kept me pretty humble.”
Esselstein said her family has also played a huge role in her success - as well as her ability to take it all in stride.
“I remember in grade school I started realizing I was good at school - and I started getting cocky about it,” she said, laughing at herself. “I still remember, this one night at dinner, I made a stupid comment and my mom said, ‘don’t get a big head.’”
That moment stayed with Esselstein her entire life and has served as a constant reminder to stay grounded, no matter how much she learns, how fast she goes or how high she soars. And as she prepares to represent Oxford during The Cancer Research UK Boat Races, April 2, along the banks of the Tideway, Esselstein feels the familiar drive of wanting to challenge her own limits.
“I just go at it full force,” she said. “That could be the same for anyone. Just ignore the naysayers, get out there and do what you want to do and learn what you want to learn. Don’t let anyone stop you.”
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2017 05:51 |
| Story ID: | 228572 |
| Location: | RAF ALCONBURY, CAM, GB |
| Hometown: | DAYTON, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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