USA U23 Worlds Lightweight Women’s Squad

Hi! We are the USA 2023 Under 23 Lightweight Women’s Squad: Aislinn and Katrina in the LW2X and Emma in the LW1X. We have qualified to compete at the U23 World Rowing Championship Regatta, held this year in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from July 19 - 23, 2023.

We are incredibly excited for this opportunity to represent the United States, however, the cost of the trip including travel, housing, transportation, entry fees, equipment and meals is $30,000 so we need your help! Please consider donating to support us in representing the USA at the U23 World Rowing Championships. The Conshohocken Rowing Center, our rowing club, is a non-profit entity and all funds donated are tax-deductible. Any support will be highly appreciated as we pursue World Championship Titles in our events! We will be using this page and our Instagram page (@u23_lwt_women) to keep our supporters updated on our progress so check back for photos and videos as we train to compete in Bulgaria!

How We Got Here

Though the list is truly endless, we would like to thank some of the many people who helped each of us in our efforts to get where we are now.

The Conshohocken Rowing Center (CRC) for providing us with equipment and funding to support our training. Our CRC coaches Craig Hoffman, Lyons Bradley, Aaron Preetam, James Konopka, Fergal Barry, and Christie Castorino for the countless hours they put into helping us.

Our rowing coaches who have enabled us to get to where we are today. Mark Williams and Christina Malinas from the University of Toronto, and Roger Kerr from North Shore Rowing Club for coaching Katrina; Gerry Quinlan and the entire SJU coaching staff, Bill Gennaro from Archbishop Carroll, and Jacob Filby, Emma Tierney, Mike Orzolek (and the rest of the Vesper staff) for all coaching Aislinn over the years; Peter Wilhelm from the Narragansett Boat Club, Monica Hilcu and Melanie Salter from Row West Racing Camp, and Paul Rassam and Chris Pedicone from Princeton University for coaching Emma throughout her rowing career.

Our family, friends, and teammates who have supported us and cheered us on from near and far.

Rower Bios

Aislinn O’Brien

Stroke seat of our LW2X is Aislinn (Ashlynn) O’Brien from Phoenixville, PA. Both of Aislinn’s parents were rowers so when she got to high school, she was essentially forced into trying the sport out against her will. Fortunately, she quickly fell in love with the sport and that love and passion has stuck with her for the last 8 years. In high school, Aislinn stroked 6 boats to as many wins at the Catholic League Championships over 3 years, several program high finishes at the SRAA National Championship, Stotesbury Cup Regatta and Philadelphia City Championships, along with winning the Mid Atlantic Regional Championship. Aislinn went on to row at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA in 2019. She was a consistent member of the Varsity 8 throughout her time there, picking up wins in the Jesuit Invitational, two bronze medals at the A10s Conference Championship, a win in the Women’s Pair at the Navy Day Regatta (2022), and a 2nd place finish in the Women’s Championship Pair at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta (2022). Aislinn was also named A10s First Team All Conference in 2023, and was a team captain from 2021-2022. She spent her summers from 2019 to 2022 rowing for Vesper Boat Club on Boathouse Row, with some of her results being 1st in the LW2x at Independence Day Regatta 2021, 2nd in the U23 LW1x at the USRowing National Championship 2022, and 1st in the U23 Women’s 8+ at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta 2022. Aislinn would like to thank the many people who have helped her be the person and rower she is today: her Archbishop Carroll High School, Vesper, and SJU coaching staffs and trainers, all of her family, friends, former and current teammates, her CRC coaching staff, and especially her parents for all of their love and support over the years.

Katrina Miehlbradt

In bow seat of our LW2X, we have Katrina. Katrina grew up in New Zealand and started rowing in her final year of high school at North Shore Rowing Club in Auckland after much encouragement from her parents who were both rowers (Fun fact: Katrina’s mom was on the US national rowing team with Aislinn’s dad in 1990!). She completed her novice season with gold in the novice women's 4X and silver in the novice women's 4+ at the NZ Rowing Championships in 2019. Later in 2019, she started at the University of Toronto, studying Environmental Science and Conservation Biology, and rowed on their varsity team, placing 3rd in the varsity LW4+ at the Ontario University Championships in her freshman year. During the summers, Katrina rowed at Argonaut Rowing Club where she earned two gold medals at the 2022 RowOntario Championships in the senior LW2X and senior LW4-. At the Royal Canadian Henley in 2022, she placed 2nd in the U23 LW2X and senior LW4X. She ended her senior year at the University of Toronto with 4th place in the varsity LW2x and 5th place in the varsity women’s 8+ at the Canadian University Championships, and was awarded Oarswomen of the Year. Katrina would like to thank her novice rowing coach, Roger Kerr, and her university rowing coaches, Mark Williams and Christina Malinas for the unwavering confidence they had in her throughout her university rowing career. She would also like to thank her parents, Aly and Holm Miehlbradt, and her friends and teammates over the years for their endless love and support.

Emma Mirrer

Our LW1X, Emma is from Providence, Rhode Island. She started rowing her summer going into freshman year of high school and has never looked back. Emma rowed for Peter Wilhelm at the Narragansett Boat Club (NBC) and is immensely grateful for him as he taught her how to love the sport of rowing. During her time at NBC, Emma placed 2nd in the openweight 2x at Northeast Regionals and 10th in the openweight double at Youth Nationals her freshman year, and first at the Head of the Charles in the women’s youth 1x her senior fall. Under Row West, Emma placed 2nd in the U19 2x, 3rd in the U19 4x, 2nd in the U23 4x and 2nd in the U23 LW4+ at Club Nationals in 2021. Currently, Emma is a freshman on the lightweight women’s varsity crew team at Princeton University. At Princeton she has achieved 2nd place at the Head of the Charles, 1st place at Eastern Sprints, and 1st place at IRAs in the varsity 4+. Emma recognizes that she would not be where she is today without the endless care and support of her friends, teammates, mentors, family, and coaches. She would like to thank all of the people in her life who have made her dream of joining the national team come true.