Sharon Vaissiere, who first became associated with crew while attending Boston University, has enjoyed a long and successful career expanding far beyond the confines of her alma mater.
A 1974 graduate of the School of Education, Vaissiere learned to row while attending Boston University. In 1972, she was a co-founder of the women's crew program, and guided the team to the New England Collegiate Women's Championships in 1973. During her senior campaign, she helped Boston University to a number of championships in the 4+ Stroke competition, including the Head of the Charles, the Canadian Henley, and the National Championships on Lake Merritt in California. At the World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland, her boat finished tenth.
Following graduation, she competed for a number of crew clubs and associations. Representing the Mercantile Boat Club, she rowed to a third place finish in the 4+ stroke event. In 1976, after just four years involvement with the sport, she made the United States Olympic team, serving as an alternate at the Montreal Summer Games.
She has also been involved extensively in the sport at an instructional level. At the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games, she was a member of the Control Commission for the rowing events on Lake Casitas. From the end of 1979 through 1981, she was the women's varsity crew coach at Cornell University. Prior to that, she coached the U.S. Junior National Sculling team which competed in Denmark and Belgium.
Her coaching career began in 1973, when she served as an assistant coach of the Boston University Summer Community Rowing Program. From 1974 to 1975 she was the Girls Varsity Crew Coach at Philips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, and in 1978 held the same position with the Academy's boys varsity crew.
