As an economics major at the George Washington University, Marcella Altman is well-versed in interest and knows that a little bit can add up to a lot over time.
That’s the exact concept Altman, an elite kayaker and canoer with sights set on the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, takes to her sport, where a rigorous six-day-a-week training schedule ultimately culminates in races that last barely 100 seconds.
But being 1% better than the previous day, she said, can be all the difference in the heat of competition.
“You know that’s going to compound,” she said, with a smile.
In July, Altman cashed in on her grandest prize yet: her first international medal. Along with two of her longtime teammates, Evy Leibfarth and Ria Sribar, the native of nearby Bethesda, Maryland, helped the U.S. Canoe Slalom Team secure a third-place finish in the Women’s Kayak Team race at the International Canoe Federation Junior and U-23 World Championships in Foix, France. It was the first time since 1999 that Team USA medaled in the team event, where three paddlers navigate the course at the same time.
Altman has raced with Leibfarth, a bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Sribar for nearly seven years. The trio utilized that chemistry to find the podium in an event traditionally dominated by European racers.
“That day, everything just came together. We each had a great run. The teamwork was there—it was amazing,” Altman said. “To share my first major international medal with them was incredibly special.”
Altman also had a strong showing individually, placing sixth in the women’s kayak cross. It was also her best-ever individual finish at the international level.
This dream has been a lifelong pursuit for Altman, whose family tree is strongly rooted in the competitive paddling world. Her mother was also a member of Team USA, and her cousin competed in kayaking for France during the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Altman grew up paddling on the Potomac River with her club, the Potomac Whitewater Racing Center, with sights set on the highest levels of competition. Her “1% better every day mindset” has carried her through tiring and sometimes even tedious days on and off the water.
Up to six times per week, she bikes twice a day from Foggy Bottom to her family’s home in Bethesda, which is close to the club’s location. She gets in a morning training session, bikes back to a mid-morning lecture, then heads back to Maryland in the afternoon for a second session on the water before coming back to Foggy Bottom for a night of homework. She’ll also throw in several gym sessions per week. Altman has been taking a leave of absence during the spring to train in a warmer climate, focusing on technique and race preparation.
She credits a strong support system at home, at the club and at GW for enabling her to immerse herself fully.
“It definitely takes a team of people to make it happen,” she said. “Huge shoutout to my professors in the economics department—they’ve been incredibly supportive and flexible when I have to travel. My coaches, my family and my GW friends—especially my roommates—have also been a huge help.”
GW was a huge draw for Altman for two reasons. One, because of what she describes as “world-class academics” and an economics program specifically that met her interests, particularly when it came to development in other countries that she had visited through sport. Secondly, its location, just off the banks of the Potomac River, allowed her to continue to train with her club.
Despite the intensive training schedule, Altman has involved herself out of the water at GW, including with the student orgs GW Women in Economics, GW Stock and Portfolio Management and GW Fencing, which she thinks has helped her in the boat. Paddling is time-based, she said, but fencing is much more reactive and strategic, and that’s helped her improve her reaction time and mental focus in the water.
She’s on track to graduate in May 2027 and aspires to use her degree to work with data that helps identify trends to serve underrepresented communities. “Coming from a sports background, I know how powerful data can be,” she said. “I’d love to find a role that lets me combine that with my passion for making a difference.”
Altman will simultaneously be training for the goal of competing in the crown jewel of her sport—the Olympic Games in 2028—while taking it one day and 1% at a time. She views this opportunity not only as an asset for herself, but also for young athletes seeking their own inspirations.
“We have a real chance to grow the sport in the U.S. and motivate kids to live active lives and pursue their own goals,” Altman said. “Sport teaches so many life lessons, and I just want to help others discover that, too.”
