Completed Event: Men's Lightweight Rowing at Head of the Charles on October 18, 2025 ,
Final
Men's Lightweight Rowing
at Head of the Charles
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Spotlight on Senior Ben Blum
6/9/2009 3:30:00 PM | Men's Lightweight Rowing
He's got moxy alright.
How else would you explain Ben Blum's recent quest to set two world records.
Blum, who was struggling to overcome several herniated discs in his back, took to the erg machine in January of 2008 determined to complete his comeback.
"It took a lot of planning, it was something that I was interested in doing," Blum said. "I thought of maybe doing it as part of a tandem but that fell through. Through the planning for that it had given me a sense of what I needed logistically. Over Thanksgiving break my junior year I started to really start working on it. My mom was so helpful, she got all the food and supplies I needed."
Blum set records for his age group, 20-29, and weight class for the longest continual erg and most meters in 24 hours.
"I woke up that morning, stretched, ate breakfast and then sat down and just started rowing," Blum explained. "The records I set are for my age and weight class. I don't hold them outright. There are people much crazier then I. I thought I was going to be able to go 26 hours for the longest continual but I started going crazy and had to stop."
Blum rowed 230.137 meters in 24 hours and continued for an extra hour, 25 total, to break the longest continual row record.
Blum's road to Dartmouth came much the same way his record-setting performance came.
He had never intended on coming to Dartmouth but a weekend ski trip with a friend who was planning on coming to Hanover sealed his fate.
"I was originally looking to row heavyweight at another college," Blum said. "I ended up applying early to a different school and was deferred and when I look back on it, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me."
"My first experience with Hanover was coming up here with a friend to check out the area. The weather was just terrible that weekend and despite that I was hooked as we drove through town. I had always thought I didn't want to go to school north of Boston but the more I learned about Dartmouth it quickly became my top choice."
Blum has made the most of his opportunities here in the Upper Valley despite the injuries that have seemed to plague him from almost the beginning.
"I've pretty much been suffering from two bulging herniated discs in my lower back," Blum said. "One was from a rowing related bike accident my freshman winter. I worked hard after that and was able to come back for the spring but in the last race of that sping I threw my back out again. I then had to take the summer off and come back the next fall."
"I felt I had a decent sophomore fall season but in the winter I got mono," Blum explained with a laugh. "The bright side to that was it forced me to rest my back but that wasn't enough. It just kept getting worse and worse and was too painful to keep going. So finally I went to seen an orthopedist who happened to be a rower in college. He was very helpful with my rehab. My coaches and teammates later told me that they didn't think I was going to be able to come back. But after 20 hours of rehab a week to strengthen my back I was able to do some light running prior to the fall of my junior year. My desire to not quit was what motivated me."
"Ben's one of the most motivated rowers I've ever coached," said head coach Steve Perry. "His desire to come back and be a part of this team was second to none and his motivation to overcome his injuries have made him a much better person and athlete."
"All my experiences have really motivated me," he said. "My world-record experience helped me prove to myself that there wasn't much I wasn't going to be able to find a way to push through. Toward the end of the 24-hour period the mental function had shut down but somehow I kept going."
"I'd never had what I considered a really successful winter training but everything I've gone through has given me a lot of confidence. I may have bad days but I've got to keep going and it's going to pay off and that attitude has led to one of the most successful winters I've had here."
Blum knows that every experience he's had at Dartmouth hasn't been just his alone. He recognizes that his teammates have been a key factor in his success.
"I'm never going to forget my team and the guys," Blum said. "A lot about rowing isn't fun, there's a payoff but it's not always clearly evident. I'm never going to forget what it was like training here with my teammates."
"This sport is so much about a mutual suffering, your boat either wins or loses. It's about the eight-people in the boat, no individuals. The team aspect has been very important to me and I'll always have that to look back on."
Blum knows that his four-years at Dartmouth will be something he always looks back on fondly and he's ready for the next step in his life but he also knows that giving up the sport that has given him so much will be tough to do.
"In the back of my mind I think it would be fun to coach rowing in some capacity. I definitely will be a part of the sport for as long as I can. I've got a lot of doors open now both in rowing and my life, it's going to be exciting."
(Heather Croze)
How else would you explain Ben Blum's recent quest to set two world records.
Blum, who was struggling to overcome several herniated discs in his back, took to the erg machine in January of 2008 determined to complete his comeback.
"It took a lot of planning, it was something that I was interested in doing," Blum said. "I thought of maybe doing it as part of a tandem but that fell through. Through the planning for that it had given me a sense of what I needed logistically. Over Thanksgiving break my junior year I started to really start working on it. My mom was so helpful, she got all the food and supplies I needed."
Blum set records for his age group, 20-29, and weight class for the longest continual erg and most meters in 24 hours.
"I woke up that morning, stretched, ate breakfast and then sat down and just started rowing," Blum explained. "The records I set are for my age and weight class. I don't hold them outright. There are people much crazier then I. I thought I was going to be able to go 26 hours for the longest continual but I started going crazy and had to stop."
Blum rowed 230.137 meters in 24 hours and continued for an extra hour, 25 total, to break the longest continual row record.
Blum's road to Dartmouth came much the same way his record-setting performance came.
He had never intended on coming to Dartmouth but a weekend ski trip with a friend who was planning on coming to Hanover sealed his fate.
"I was originally looking to row heavyweight at another college," Blum said. "I ended up applying early to a different school and was deferred and when I look back on it, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me."
"My first experience with Hanover was coming up here with a friend to check out the area. The weather was just terrible that weekend and despite that I was hooked as we drove through town. I had always thought I didn't want to go to school north of Boston but the more I learned about Dartmouth it quickly became my top choice."
Blum has made the most of his opportunities here in the Upper Valley despite the injuries that have seemed to plague him from almost the beginning.
"I've pretty much been suffering from two bulging herniated discs in my lower back," Blum said. "One was from a rowing related bike accident my freshman winter. I worked hard after that and was able to come back for the spring but in the last race of that sping I threw my back out again. I then had to take the summer off and come back the next fall."
"I felt I had a decent sophomore fall season but in the winter I got mono," Blum explained with a laugh. "The bright side to that was it forced me to rest my back but that wasn't enough. It just kept getting worse and worse and was too painful to keep going. So finally I went to seen an orthopedist who happened to be a rower in college. He was very helpful with my rehab. My coaches and teammates later told me that they didn't think I was going to be able to come back. But after 20 hours of rehab a week to strengthen my back I was able to do some light running prior to the fall of my junior year. My desire to not quit was what motivated me."
"Ben's one of the most motivated rowers I've ever coached," said head coach Steve Perry. "His desire to come back and be a part of this team was second to none and his motivation to overcome his injuries have made him a much better person and athlete."
"All my experiences have really motivated me," he said. "My world-record experience helped me prove to myself that there wasn't much I wasn't going to be able to find a way to push through. Toward the end of the 24-hour period the mental function had shut down but somehow I kept going."
"I'd never had what I considered a really successful winter training but everything I've gone through has given me a lot of confidence. I may have bad days but I've got to keep going and it's going to pay off and that attitude has led to one of the most successful winters I've had here."
Blum knows that every experience he's had at Dartmouth hasn't been just his alone. He recognizes that his teammates have been a key factor in his success.
"I'm never going to forget my team and the guys," Blum said. "A lot about rowing isn't fun, there's a payoff but it's not always clearly evident. I'm never going to forget what it was like training here with my teammates."
"This sport is so much about a mutual suffering, your boat either wins or loses. It's about the eight-people in the boat, no individuals. The team aspect has been very important to me and I'll always have that to look back on."
Blum knows that his four-years at Dartmouth will be something he always looks back on fondly and he's ready for the next step in his life but he also knows that giving up the sport that has given him so much will be tough to do.
"In the back of my mind I think it would be fun to coach rowing in some capacity. I definitely will be a part of the sport for as long as I can. I've got a lot of doors open now both in rowing and my life, it's going to be exciting."
(Heather Croze)
Players Mentioned
Rower
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Wednesday, June 11
Dartmouth Men's Lightweight Rowing: Max Konzerowsky Mic'd Up
Wednesday, June 04
Men's Lightweight Rowing at Eastern Sprints Post Race 5-18-25
Wednesday, May 21
Men's Lightweight Rowing vs. Harvard Post Race 4-12-25
Saturday, April 12
