The St. Ursula Academy crew team at the christening of its new boat, “Daisy’s Heroes.” (Photo courtesy of St. Ursula Academy)

“I was not an athlete in high school — no hand/eye coordination,” explains Ms. Mazzio. But as a freshman at Mount Holyoke College, she was encouraged to try out for the crew team. She took on the challenge, and was the very first one cut.

“The first thing we had to do for try outs was run a mile-and-a-half. I came in last place … dead last out of 150 girls. The coach told me I would never make the team, but I asked if I could come back just one more day and try again,” says Ms. Mazzio. After many more tries, she eventually had a spot on crew.  

“Getting up at 5:00 a.m., doing a full workout, then going rowing on freezing waters … by the end of the week, everyone else had dropped out but me,” says Ms. Mazzio. She credits her failures with helping her succeed.

“In real life, everyone fails. I’ve failed so many times in my life. It was my mother that taught me no matter what happens, if you feel you can, you can do anything.”

Ms. Mazzio spoke to students at St. Ursula Academy (SUA) April 8, about overcoming obstacles and making a commitment to succeed. A lawyer, member of the ’92 U.S. Olympic crew team and an award-winning filmmaker, Ms. Mazzio is the creative force behind the movie, “Hero for Daisy,” the story of Chris Ernst, a Yale rower whose struggle led to the enforcement of Title IX — equal rights for women in athletics.

Ms. Mazzio came to SUA because the Arrows crew team is a two-time winner of the Chris Ernst/Hero for Daisy Cup, presented for being the fastest eight-woman boat at the Head of the Cuyahoga Regatta in Cleveland. When the team needed a new boat, the name was an easy pick: Daisy’s Heroes.
 
Ms. Mazzio and her daughter, Daisy, christened the boat at Toledo’s International Park, using a bottle of champagne Ms. Mazzio had saved from her Olympic involvement.