I’m David Schary: former rower, coach, and now a mental performance specialist who bridges the gap between the boathouse and breakthrough performance. As a professor of exercise science and licensed mental health counselor, I’ve dedicated my career to understanding what separates good rowers from great ones.
Having lived rowing from both sides of the oar, I’ve experienced firsthand how mental barriers can sabotage even the most physically prepared athletes.
After years of watching talented rowers crack under pressure or sail past their limits when everything clicked mentally, I got curious. What made the difference? It wasn’t just fitness or technique. I started studying how the brain responds to stress and competition. Turns out, there are specific ways to train your mind just like you train your split times. When rowers learn these techniques, they stop fighting their nerves and start using them. I’ve seen athletes drop significant time off their splits just by changing how they handle mid-race pressure. I use evidence-based brain science to design targeted mental training that develops unshakeable focus, resilience, and race-day confidence.
Your body is already trained. Your technique is solid. But if your mind is still your weak link on race day, that’s what we need to fix. I help rowers train their mind with the same precision they bring to their body, transforming mental performance from your biggest vulnerability into your most powerful asset. Because when your mind is as strong as your stroke, that’s when breakthrough performances happen.
“My biggest takeaway from Dr. Schary was keeping everything simple — focusing on just one or two things. Or acknowledging the hurt and reframing it as ‘this means I’m going fast.’ He’s very concise and direct, but super understanding and well delivered. It can help you move past mental blocks, especially around 2ks.”
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