Gianna RIPA

Athlete

Gianna grew up on the Jersey Shore, where rowing is part of the culture and offered in nearly every town. In middle school, her English teacher encouraged her to try coxing, recognizing her size, her strong voice projection, and her natural ability to think strategically. That early encouragement led her to begin rowing in eighth grade with a local youth club, where she quickly fell in love with the sport.

From 2021–2025, Gianna returned to that same rowing camp each summer as a volunteer coxswain and instructor, teaching young athletes how to row and sharing the passion and confidence the sport had given her. In high school, she served as a coxswain for both the men’s and women’s teams, and in her senior year she also competed as a lightweight rower in the LW4+.

Gianna is now a proud coxswain for the University of Minnesota Men’s Crew, where she has the opportunity to work with exceptional rowers and coaches who challenge her to grow every day. Rowing has instilled in her a powerful work ethic, a disciplined mindset, and a belief in the value of consistent effort—qualities she applies to every aspect of her life.

Her foundation in discipline began even earlier through skateboarding, which she started at just six years old. Skateboarding taught her resilience, persistence, and the understanding that progress only comes through dedicated work—lessons that seamlessly carried into rowing and strengthened her approach as an athlete and leader.

Rowing and skateboarding have shaped Gianna into the focused, driven, and deeply grateful person she is today—fueling her passion for community, improvement, and excellence on and off the water.

When not on the water, at the boathouse  or in the gym, Mary loves playing with dogs, being with friends, singing, going to church, shopping, obsessing over Robert Irwin, spending time with her family, and eating. Mary is excited to continue her rowing and academic careers at The Catholic University of America in the Fall of 2026. She looks forward to all the ways she gets to “rowfluence” others in her daily life.