Episcopal Alum, Meghan O'Leary (03'), continues on her journey to the Olympics in 2016.  
Meghan reports:

Happy Monday!

Final update from this weekend's racing at the 2015 World Cup 2 in Varese, Italy - writing to you mid-flight as we hop the pond back to the States.

Hands down, Ellen and I had our best overall regatta performance this weekend. Highlights include winning both our heat and semifinal while posting the fastest times in each round, officially qualifying for the 2015 U.S. National Team, and throwing down what was arguably the closest race of the entire regatta in the Final yesterday to come home with the silver medal, just 0.14 seconds out of first behind New Zealand. I've alluded to the women's double being the most competitive and deepest event across all boat classes, and this weekend's World Cup racing certainly validated that statement. It's an honor to compete in such a top class and high quality field of athletes. The funnest part about it is that every race is an all out battle, and there are no gimmes. 

If you didn't catch the race yesterday, the video is still available on the World Rowing website (W2x Final - FA): VIDEO

I'm clearly biased, but it's well worth the watch. It'll take less than eight minutes of your day, but promises to give you at least eight hours of energy and adrenaline rush. I couldn't be prouder of my partner, Ellen Tomek in stroke seat for setting the rhythm, trusting my calls, being confident in our abilities and leaving it all on the water as we raced the best race in our history together as a crew. Missing out on gold by 0.14 seconds to the 2014 World Champions is only fuel to the fire we're building for the 2015 World Championships in September, and beyond that, hopefully a run next summer in Rio. 

What's next? We return to Princeton, NJ where we'll spend the rest of the summer. We'll take a short day to recover from competition and travel, and then dive right back into training. We've got eight weeks to build on what we've accomplished thus far and make sure that we finish on the other side of that 0.14 seconds come September. The 2015 World Championships take place August 30-September 6 in Aiguebelette, France.

Thank you again for all of your well wishes, congratulatory messages, and continued support!

Every Day Counts.

Follow Meghan's progress here. 

Decaon deGravelles, Episcopal's very own Lower School Chaplain and author will soon be launching his new book, The Rise and Fall (and Redemption) of Billy Cannon, published by the LSU Press.

 Here are some reviews from the latest press release: 

“For more than half a century since the glory days of Billy Cannon, LSU football fans have gotten only pieces of his story. This book provides a detailed account of a celebrated athlete. It also offers something much bigger – the journey of a proud but wounded man who took a remarkable path and eventually ended up exactly where he wanted to be.”

—Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of Walking with Tigers

“Charles deGravelles’s portrait of Billy Cannon is a big, bruising, unforgettable look at one of the most fascinating characters in the history of American sports . . .deGravelles reveals Cannon to be a decent man in search of the same redemption we all should want. You'll be blown away.”

—John Ed Bradley, author of It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium

More information about the September 10th launch will be available soon.

Congratulations Chaplain Charlie!!