Remembering Amy Fuller Kearney

When someone takes less than a year to go from never having rowed to being on the national team and off to the World Rowing Championships, you know that there is something special about them.

Back in 1989, Amy Fuller did exactly that. Sitting in six-seat, Fuller raced in the final of the women’s eight at the World Rowing Championships for the United States at a time when the event was dominated by Romania and Germany. She was 21 years old and was in her second year at University of California, Santa Barbara.

That was the start of Fuller’s rowing life that went through an international career and on to coaching which included 20 years as University of California, Los Angeles head coach.

The first of three Olympic appearances, 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Fuller was in the United States four that won silver. The following year she completed a double header at the 1993 World Rowing Championships earning silver in both the four and eight. She repeated the two race, two medal haul in 1994 as her success continued to mount.

And it did.

At the 1995 World Rowing Championships Fuller’s eight struck gold.

Fuller remained on the US national team through the 1996 Olympic Games and on to the Sydney 2000 Olympics where she completed her rowing career.

Outside of rowing Fuller also made her mark. She was a grinder for the Americas Cup in the first nearly all women’s crew, Mighty Mary (1995). She joined the Americas Cup challenge while still training for the US rowing team.

Fuller also overlapped her international rowing career with coaching rowing including a stint coaching for San Diego State while training for the 2000 Olympics. She was part of the US national team coaching staff in 1997 also while still an athlete.

Fuller’s power and strength was well documented with several indoor rowing titles going her way including becoming the 2000m World Record holder in the 30-39 age category. Fuller still holds the American record for this age category over 2000m, which she set in 2000 (time of 6:32.3).

Amy Fuller Kearney lived a life full of rowing. She passed away following a fight with breast cancer at the age of 54.