Liz Abraham is not sure how it happened, and has no idea why it stuck.

But ever since she could remember being on the Syracuse men’s rowing team, she has always been called Hank.

“Some of the freshmen came to the team this year and they didn’t know what my name was,” Abraham said. “I’m Hank. Exclusively.”

Abraham gets the name because, as a female, she’s an anomaly on the SU men’s rowing team. Now a senior, Abraham is the coxswain for the varsity eight boat, the first time a female has held that position since the 1980s, she said. Since coming in as an intimidated freshman four years ago, she’s developed into one of the leaders on a crew team that is ranked 14th in the nation.

“There’s definitely an intimidation factor coming in as a female on a men’s team,” Abraham said. “These guys are big guys with big egos walking around. I think it’s intimidating coming in as a freshman. You’re kind of thrown right into it.”

Abraham said that when she first joined the team four years ago, the experience was almost more than she could handle.

The coxswain’s main job is to steer the boat and captain the eight-man crew, but she struggled to take command and make decisions in her first season. It was a skill and a confidence that she developed as her college career wore on, which allowed her to become the best coxswain on the team.

“You try to be authoritative and managing, and it can come off that you’re being a b-tch,” Abraham said. “Whereas a guy isn’t necessarily taken that same way.

“I had to prove myself.”

Abraham grew up with twin brothers that were both four years older than she. It was never easy for her to get a word in, and her voice could easily have been overlooked.

But that experience forced her to learn to speak up and sometimes speak over her older brothers.

“She really had to learn from an early age that in order to be heard in the family she had to stand up for herself,” said her mother Janis Kelly. “She couldn’t let them push her around.”

Kelly has served as an inspiration for Abraham.

When Abraham was in high school, Kelly was suffering from breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation.

The treatment took a tremendous toll on Kelly, who needed to revamp her diet to gain strength while recovering. It was a process that her entire family, including Abraham, took on.

“I think all three of my kids saw me overcome something huge,” Kelly said. “They certainly went through it with me. And they saw that you could come out the other side and be stronger.”

It’s taken a certain strength on Abraham’s part to overcome being the token female on a team of 36 men, six of whom she lives with in an on-campus house. She gets called Hank more than she’s ever called Liz.

And while at times it may feel like she’s just putting up with the nuances of being on an almost all-male team, the fact that she’s thrived has earned everyone’s respect.

“As much as she’s one of the bros sometimes, she’s definitely still like, a girl,” said teammate and roommate Jake Martens. “She still does her own thing, but she commands a lot of respect and she’s really able to walk the line between getting along with the guys, but still being a girl.”

For Abraham, it’s not about being a guy or a girl, but being a coxswain and a leader.

Abraham could have chosen to row at a different school. She could have chosen to row with women. But what attracted her to Syracuse was the feeling of camaraderie and brotherhood.

Abraham won’t say that she’s overcome any hurdles in what she’s done at SU. That’s not who she is. Yet she is well aware of what being on this team has done for her.

“I’ve become a more confident person, more decisive in everything that I do,” Abraham said. “I’m kind of not afraid of anything anymore.

“I’ve found my own voice on the team.”

Published on April 8, 2014 at 1:15 am

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3