A native of Maryland, Michael Colella is captain of the Men's Heavyweight Rowing Team. Rowing since freshman year, Colella has been an integral part of his team. A member of the freshmen eight that earned the bronze medal at the 2013 EARC Sprints, as a sophomore, Michael stroked the varsity eight boat that posted its best finish in five years. Last year he rowed in the varsity eight that captured the Goes Trophy and Madeira Cup.

On campus, Michael has worked with a variety of athlete-focused organizations including SAAC, Red Key and BRLI. During Fall 2015, Colella partnered with various organizations on campus to promote and engage athletes in Mental Health Week 2015, a week-long series of events and activities supporting mental wellness.

"My work with Mental Health Awareness week has been one of the highlights of my career at Cornell. We sought to tackle the very issues that prevent athletes from prioritizing mental health. I was blown away by the amazing turnout and the thoughtful dialogue around the role teammates can play in creating a supportive team environment."

As one of the charter members of BRLI, Michael's outlook on leadership has evolved right alongside the program. He enjoys the diversity that the organization offers, as it gives athletes from various teams the opportunity to meet and discuss important leadership and teamwork traits and challenges. Michael appreciates the BRLI's focus on athlete development, peer to peer learning and the connections between different cohorts. When asked to reflect on his experience, He says "My favorite part of BRLI is the community it has fostered across Cornell Athletics. We challenge one another to redefine what it means to represent the Big Red in and out of competition."

Michael readily admits that his experiences in BRLI have shaped his own personal philosophies on leadership. "I hate to admit that I used to doubt an individual's ability to change. Big Red Leadership has shown me that people can grow and evolve in ways I never thought were possible. Specifically, I have learned to be empathetic, respect the differences in others, and understand how we are all motivated in different ways. Throughout these past four years, I have been blown away by my teammates as they prioritize team success time and time again."

Now a captain of his team, Michael defines the responsibility of his role as "empowering my teammates to tackle any obstacle in their way, and showing them how much value they bring to practice every day." He strongly believes in leading by example on and off the water, that leadership skills can be developed, and that everyone is capable of change.

A senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Colella hopes to continue working with student-athletes and create lasting, positive impacts. With his fourth year of collegiate rowing coming to a close, Colella has learned valuable lessons that he hopes to pass along to younger athletes.

"A good friend of mine recently told me this amazing quote: 'Everyone you will ever meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. So be kind. Always.' It is the one lesson I wish I had learned as an underclassmen and try pass along to freshmen today."