FAIRFIELD, C.T. (BVM) — Will LaMotta never expected to be a collegiate athlete. 

Entering high school at Don Bosco Preparatory, he was unsure about if he could make the high school team for any sport, let alone in college.  

Originally playing basketball and baseball prior to high school, LaMotta was forced to find a new sport after realizing that he wasn’t good enough to make the team.

“I came into high school and baseball wasn’t an option after little league, and neither was basketball,” said LaMotta with a smile. “I was talking to one of my friends in theology class about how he had joined the crew team. I showed up to the next practice and that’s that.”

After finding crew his freshman year in high school, rowing quickly became a huge part of his life. LaMotta competed for Don Bosco for all four years in high school, going from an impulse join as a freshman to captain in his senior year.

During his senior year of high school, LaMotta again faced questions about his athletic future. Set to attend Fairfield University solely as a student, as he finished his senior year at Don Bosco, LaMotta realized he wasn’t ready for his rowing career to come to an end.

“I wasn’t even going to row in college,” said LaMotta. “I liked Fairfield as a school, it was a good fit for me. Then right after I graduated I talked to my high school coaches. That summer they had me training the whole way through, I got a lot faster, and I walked on in the fall.”

His improvements and hard work paid off, with LaMotta making the Fairfield crew team as a walk-on during his freshman year.

The season featured a number of changes for LaMotta, from joining a new team, to competing in an eight-man boat instead of the singles and four-man boats he competed in during high school.

On top of dealing with the new environment, LaMotta had a new and more pressing problem beginning to arise.

“In the fall freshman year I herniated my L5-S1 disk in my lower back.” said LaMotta. “It wasn’t major at the time, I didn’t know what it was until summer. I dealt with back pain all year.”

The injury seemed minor at first, and the nagging back pain wasn’t serious enough to the point where he considered it a major injury. 

Slowly, over time, it became one. 

“It got worse and worse until the fall of sophomore year I felt nerve pain 24/7.” said LaMotta “I didn’t even know what I was feeling until I was diagnosed in the winter. By then I couldn’t even walk, the pain shot down my right leg whenever I stood. I couldn’t even sleep.”

That winter, LaMotta returned home to New Jersey from Connecticut to undergo surgery. 

Throughout the entire spring LaMotta sat on the bench recovering from his back surgery. As he recovered, LaMotta grew closer to the team than he ever had before.

“You try and stay involved how you can: going to practices, races, and whatever you can.” said LaMotta. “You want to be part of the team more than ever, you need their support.”

After spending the entire spring out of the boats and limited in movement, LaMotta has spent the summer before his junior year the way he spent the summer before his freshman year: training non-stop.

A semester away has left him hungry to return to the sport he loves. “I can’t wait to row again.” said LaMotta.

Returning to campus in September, LaMotta will again get his chance to compete in the sport he loves.

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