By Paul Daugherty
Enquirer staff writer

ATHENS - It never ends exactly the way they'd like, not unless they win gold. For Kelly Salchow, whose team finished sixth in the medal finals of the women's quadruple sculls Sunday, the day marked a passage from one life to another.

Kelly Salchow is second from the left as a member of the U.S. Olympic Women's Quadruple Sculls rowing team. (AP photo)

She is 30, twice an Olympian. She has been rowing competitively for 15 years, starting with the Cincinnati Juniors. Now she'll confine her rowing to pleasure, on weekends, between teaching graphic design classes at the Kansas City ArtInstitute.

Her team finished in 6 minutes, 39.67 seconds, more than 10 seconds behind winner Germany.

"The boat just wasn't responding," Salchow said.

And so it goes. Someone asked her what advice she might give to the girls now involved with Cincinnati Junior Rowing.

"Whatever you do, be proud of it," Salchow said. "Make sure the choices you make are ones you won't regret later."

She said she'll miss the racing: "We have only a few races a year, and it's so many miles and hours to train, but the racing is just so worth it."

She won't miss the injuries and the personal sacrifice.

"The money I'm not making and the kids I'm not having. Other real-life stuff," Salchow said.

"We all believed if we had our best race, we could get a medal. We didn't. That's the reality. But just being here is a magical experience in itself."