After Tokyo, Musnicki retired. She got married, moved to California, worked a full-time job at a tech company, and put her days as an elite rower behind her… or so she thought.

With her recent marriage to California Rowing Club coach and former U.S. national team member Skip Kielt, it was impossible for her to escape the sport, so she began rowing in a pair with Australian Olympic champion Jessica Morrison for the sole reason, she declared, of getting some exercise.

But, put two ultra-competitive Olympic champions in the same boat, and heads are going to be turned.

Mike Teti, 1988 Olympic medalist and former U.S. Olympic Team coach, happened to be one of those people whose head was, in fact, turned. After watching the two train, he suggested that they race in the Henley Royal Regatta – ‘the most prestigious regatta in the world’.

So, after what sounds like it took minimal convincing, the two decided to go “just for fun”, or so Musnicki said.

It was tricky to gauge what the expectation was for the two, as Musnicki was known for racing in eights, but this pair had only “trained in a boat [for] maybe a total of two or three weeks,” she said.

But again, with two legendary Olympic champions in charge of moving the same boat through the finish line of a race, it is hard to expect anything short of greatness.

And greatness it was, as the two crossed the finish line in first place so swiftly that the regatta deemed the verdict of their win “easily”.

“So that’s what really kick-started my second campaign,” she said, laughing when she added: “So I blame Mike Teti for getting me back in the boat.”