Some athletic careers are defined by medals. Others are defined by moments of responsibility, when leadership, identity, and resilience intersect.
For Yana Ocheretiana, a national-team coxswain, rowing was never just a sport. It was a lifelong commitment to teamwork, discipline, and representing her country with integrity, even when circumstances made that path uncertain.
From European championship podiums to rebuilding her career in a new country, Yana’s journey reflects the quieter side of elite sport: the voice that guides the boat, the mind that makes decisions under pressure, and the flag carried long after the race ends.
Where It All Began
Yana’s story began in 2013, at the age of 11, when rowing entered her life for the first time. The connection was immediate; water, boats, and motion felt instinctively right. The sport also carried personal meaning: her mother had been a coxswain in high school, quietly planting the first seed of possibility.
A defining moment came during a summer visit to the Ukrainian National Championships in Kyiv. While congratulating athletes alongside her mother, coaches noticed Yana and offered her something unexpected: to try the role of coxswain.
With encouragement from her mother, she accepted. That single decision shaped her future.
Becoming the Voice in the Boat
As Yana progressed through the junior ranks, she stepped into leadership early, eventually serving as a coxswain for the Ukrainian National Rowing Team.
Often younger and physically smaller than the athletes she guided, she learned quickly that authority in rowing is earned through clarity, composure, and trust.
The coxswain’s role demanded constant focus: steering precision, tactical execution, technical corrections, and motivational communication, all delivered in real time under intense pressure.
Equally important was managing team dynamics, reading emotional states, resolving tension, and keeping crews mentally sharp in physically punishing conditions.
Leadership, for Yana, was never theoretical. It was practiced at every race.
Racing on the International Stage
Yana represented Ukraine at elite regattas across Europe and the world, including the Head of the Charles Regatta in the United States, the World Junior Rowing Championships, and multiple European Championships.
These years culminated in podium finishes with her teammates Kateryna and Anastasiia Ustiuzhanina, Svitlana Skrobalo and Viktoriia Nahorna at the first European Rowing Junior Championships 2018 in 4+, which marked Ukraine’s strength on the European junior stage.
On top of that, 2018 was the first year in which the coxed four (4+) was added back to the European and World Championships program after the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
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Her most notable competitive achievements include:
- European Junior Rowing Championships 2018 – Women’s 4+, Gold Medal (Gravelines, France)
- European Junior Rowing Championships 2020 – Women’s 4+, Gold Medal (Belgrade, Serbia)
- European U23 Rowing Championships 2018 – Women’s 4+, Silver Medal (Brest, Belarus)
- World Junior Rowing Championships 2018 – Women’s 4+, 4th Place (Račice, Czech Republic)
Yet beyond medals, Yana valued the honor of representing Ukraine, wearing her country’s colors and carrying its identity onto international waters.
Education Behind the Performance
In 2024, Yana completed her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Culture and Sport at the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport, specializing in Fitness and Recreation.
This academic foundation transformed how she approached racing. Studies in biomechanics, physiology, and sports psychology informed her understanding of movement efficiency, energy systems, motivation, and performance analysis.
The result was a more analytical, evidence-based leadership style, allowing her to translate theory directly into race-day decisions and crew preparation.
She supported athletes not only emotionally, but strategically.
When Everything Changed
Rowing had long been the center of Yana’s life, but events beyond sport reshaped her path.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupted training, competition, and daily life, forcing an extraordinarily difficult decision, leaving home to find safety while staying connected to the sport that defined her.
Starting over in a new country required adapting to a new culture, building new relationships, and carrying the emotional weight of separation.
Yet through this upheaval, Yana’s resilience deepened, strengthening her independence, leadership, and resolve, and ultimately leading her to continue her rowing journey in the United States with renewed purpose.
A Second Home on the Water
Relocating to the United States brought new challenges: adapting to a new country, a new language, new rowing terminology, and a new team culture. It required resilience, humility, and patience.
At the Pelham Community Rowing Association (PCRA), Yana found stability and support. The club became her second home, offering not only training opportunities but a community that believed in her potential.
As a coxswain and team leader, she continued to coordinate crews, guide race strategy, and contribute to team culture, doing so in English, within a new rowing system.
Leading in a second language sharpened her precision and adaptability, redefining what confidence meant under pressure.
Looking Forward
Yana’s long-term goals center on continued growth as a coxswain and leader, refining her technical expertise and strategic decision-making, elevating crew performance, and mentoring athletes through evidence-based coaching.
She aspires to take on leadership roles within competitive rowing programs while fostering discipline, cohesion, and resilience in the teams she guides.
Rowing has shaped Yana since adolescence, strengthening her values, instincts, and lifelong connections. Representing Ukraine on European and world stages remains one of her greatest honors.
Above all, she hopes rowing continues to grow globally, recognized not only for producing athletes but for its enduring power to build character, identity, and community, no matter where the water leads.
More Than Medals
Rowing has been Yana’s passion since childhood. It shaped her into a leader, connected her with lifelong friends, and gave her the privilege of representing Ukraine on the world stage.
Two European gold medals remain symbols of achievement, but the deeper legacy lies in the voice that carried crews forward, the flag she continues to represent, and a purpose shaped far beyond the finish line.
One flag. One voice in the boat. And a journey still unfolding.
Author
Alex Morozov is a sports writer focusing on athlete stories that highlight leadership, resilience, and the human side of competition. With a background in sports journalism and international athletics coverage, Alex specializes in long-form profiles that explore how sport shapes identity on and off the field. Outside of writing, Alex Morozov enjoys hiking, playing tennis, sightseeing, and spending time outdoors, often with good food, especially tacos by the beach.
