That's not necessarily a bad thing either. On the water, they have found some sort of escape ? a getaway from the pressure that can sometimes come with adolescence.
Most would think there would be a burden for Prioleau, a third-generation rower. His grandfather, Frost, rowed for Princeton in the late 1940s, and his father, Paul, competed at UC Berkeley and qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that boycotted the Games.
Yes, rowing is big in the Prioleau family ? huge, actually.
Paul met his wife Karen while competing in England. She was the coxswain. It wouldn't be a stretch to believe Will Prioleau was forced to become a rower. But that was certainly not the case.
In fact, Will Prioleau did not start rowing competitively until he was 15. That was two years ago when he joined crew at the NAC in the middle of the year.
"I didn't feel any pressure," said Will Prioleau, a Newport Beach resident who recently graduated from Mater Dei High. "I know my dad and my grandpa rowed, and I knew it would make them proud if I did as well."
Paul Prioleau never steered his son toward rowing, but he always encouraged him to be involved in athletics, he said. After dabbling in soccer and cross country, Will Prioleau made the jump to rowing.
It was as if he found himself. He was involved in nine victories in his first 13 races. "I was amazed at how successful he had been," Paul Prioleau said. "Will has got it in his blood whether he likes it or not."
Paul Prioleau is hoping history repeats itself in Ohio this weekend. When he was in high school, he won the men's varsity doubles national title.
"And, he's in a lot better shape than I was," Paul Prioleau said.
Will Prioleau and Fullerton have been working out to stay in shape, constantly following the orders of their coach, Larry Moore.
They've both been impressive, Moore said, but Fullerton comes off as a surprise considering his size.
