Erin Cafaro

Erin Cafaro

Cafaro in London, 2012
Personal information
Full name	Erin Jane Cafaro
Born	(1983-06-09) June 9, 1983 (age 33) Modesto, California, U.S.
Residence	Princeton, San Diego, Berkeley
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Rowing
Event(s)	Women's Eight
Medal record Women's rowing Representing the  United States Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Eight 2012 London Eight World Rowing Championships 2007 Munich Coxless four 2009 Poznan Eight 2009 Poznan Pair 2006 Eton Coxless four 2010 Karapiro Pair

Erin Jane Cafaro (born June 9, 1983 in Modesto, California) is an American rower. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in women's eight. At the 2012 London Olympics she won her second consecutive gold medal in Women's eight.

Cafaro began her rowing career as a novice at the University of California, Berkeley in 2001. She went on to make the varsity team in her freshman year, and to win the Women’s NCAA Rowing Championships in both 2005 and 2006. In the summer of 2005 Cafaro also competed for US Rowing U23 Team in the Women’s 4- at the Amsterdam, Netherlands FISA U23 World Championships, where the team won gold.

Starting in the summer of 2006 Cafaro began training full-time with the US Rowing National Team. She won a bronze Medal at Eton, England in the FISA World Rowing Championships in 2006 and one gold Medal in Munich, Germany at the FISA World Rowing Championships in 2007, both in the Women’s 4- event.

Cafaro competed for the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and 2012 Olympic Games in London, England where she and her teammates brought home the gold medals in the Women’s 8+ event. Beijing was the first time the United States Olympic Team has won the Gold in the Women’s 8+ event in the full 2000m race.

In 2009 Cafaro won Gold Medals both in the Women’s 2- and 8+ events at the 2009 World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland. This was the first time in US Rowing history that the W2- pair has won the Gold Medal in an international championship, much less two gold medals in two very challenging Olympic events in the same year at the same regatta. Cafaro and her pair partner, Susan Francia were awarded 2009 FISA World Crew of the Year for their performances at the World Rowing Championships, as well as being named USA Today’s Athletes of the Month. Erin was also awarded the Female Athlete of the Year award for 2009 by her teammates and coaches on the US Rowing National Team.