Hannah debray

Athlete

Hannah Debray is a 27-year-old PhD student of immunology at the University of California, Irvine. She did not grow up around rowing. She didn’t even know what the sport was until she stumbled onto a table with a banner at the Arizona State University club sports expo, in a state known for its deserts, not its waterways. When she set out to prove herself as a sculler, she didn’t have a home boathouse, or a legacy, or a coach or team guiding the way. Just a deep love for the water, and a stubborn belief that she can belong in a sport where few looked like her.

She is the daughter of Moroccan and French immigrants who knew nothing about sports culture in the U.S. She has raced her single multiple times at the Head of the Charles, and came 3rd at Club Nationals in 2023. She has trained with ex-Olympians and Senior Team members and has met many wonderful people along her journey. Her ultimate dream is to represent the country of Morocco in beach sprints at the LA Olympics. She is in conversations with the team leadership to make that dream a reality.

There are still so few Middle Eastern and North African athletes in this sport, but every time she gets in a boat, she carries her heritage with pride. She wants to remind other athletes that we do belong here, and every ripple we make matters.