Aberdeen Dad Vail ® Regatta - From Afghanistan To Dad Vail

Four Years After Entering The Air Force Out Of
High School,Philadelphia University's Mary Costello Debuts At The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta

It's the middle of the afternoon on Philadelphia University's plush campus in the East Falls section of Philadelphia. Students are pouring in and out of the Gallagher Athletic Center located about 2 miles from the starting line of 2011 Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta. Typical college chatter fills the air - exams, parties, who did this, who did that.

Tucked back in a conference room, however, an in-depth conversation unfolds. A writer and a crew coach sit at attention, tuned into the narrative of a college freshman. Both are embedded in their seats, listening earnestly.

"I was sent to Qalat in Southern Afghanistan," the student says casually. "It was a pretty heavy area for gunfire and all that kind of stuff. It was a near a heavy Taliban area - Kandahar."

It becomes obvious that Philadelphia University's Mary Costello is not your average college student, let alone your average college freshman. Costello, a Staten Island native, enrolled in the United States Air Force to work as an emergency medical technician (EMT) one month after her high school graduation in 2006. She says she always felt drawn to the armed forces because of her grandfather's service as a Marine many moons ago.

"It was just something I felt I needed to do," she says.

And Costello did it, dedicating four years of her young life to American freedoms. Three of those years were spent training at various bases on U.S. soil. Her EMT and combat training prepared her for a 10-month stint as a medic near Kandahar, a war-torn region that the militants consider to be their "spiritual birthplace."

While all of Costello's fellow freshmen went through various orientations before beginning college, none had the weighty burden of doing so while also adjusting back to civilian life. She doesn't delve into details of what she saw and experienced in Afghanistan, but acknowledges that she lost some friends.

"It's difficult for other people to understand," she says simply.

Costello was one of three medics assisting two doctors on a small Army base in Qalat that supported infantry teams on every mission. She usually volunteered to go on these missions, as opposed to sitting at the base on sick-call. Sometimes they were a week long, sometimes a couple of days and sometimes a couple of hours. At all times, the medics were on standby for medical support of any bombings.

After Costello's tour in Afghanistan, she spent the final nine months of her military term on Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. This past June, she exited the Air Force as "a totally different person," she says. With little hesitation, she continues, saying, "I came back more grateful for everything, but I was also very angry at a lot of different things because no one else seems to be grateful. You just get thrown back into your old world and everyone is the same, but you're not. It was very hard adjusting back to life. People can't really understand."

Costello was jittery and on edge upon returning to civilian life. She tried to fill the passing hours being productive, but a gaping void existed. The biggest adjustment was time management, as in, she wasn't accustomed to having free time. "I was anxious all the time," she says. Looking for a regimented schedule, she joined the women's rowing team not long after enrolling at Philadelphia University as a physician assistant major.

Hard to imagine a better fit, no?

"I needed something to keep me motivated and stay fit and active," Costello says with her coach, 31- year-old Chris O'Brien, listening attentively. "I always thought crew looked pretty cool, so I asked around to friends of mine who already went to college and they said the people they knew who rowed had a lot of fun, but it was a lot of hard work. I said, 'Well if it's hard work, then I want to do it.'"

O'Brien nods in agreement. The fifth-year head coach has been awed by Costello's work ethic and dedication.

"She's the type of athlete that you can look into her eyes and know that once you give an order or a workout, it will register," says O'Brien, as if Costello isn't sitting in the room. "Right from day one, any time I told her anything I could see it register and then there would be a reaction. It's just a sign of really good discipline and learning capabilities. It was so nice to see. Then when I found out about her background, it all made sense."

After competing as a novice in the fall semester, Costello, like all of Philadelphia University's
rowers, was handed an intensive seven-week workout calendar to complete over Christmas break. It's the type of schedule that a coach hands an athlete and simply hopes it gets completed. Not surprisingly, Costello unflinchingly followed every last command.

"Mary had the sixth or seventh best erg score on the team before she left for Christmas and when she returned she was 40 seconds faster than anyone on the team," O'Brien says proudly.

Now, Mary Costello is one of two freshmen in O'Brien's women's varsity eight. At 22, she's four years older than her fellow freshmen and older than all the seniors combined, at least in terms of life experience. She has shed her old skin and feels more and more comfortable as a civilian. Despite being wiser and more learned on the realities of life than her classmates, she tucks her history in her pocket. After four years as an adult, she finally gets to be a college student - just an especially mature one.

"For lack of a better word, she 'gets it,'" says O'Brien. "It's every coach's dream to get kids to
buy in to what you're preaching - with hard work comes success."

Undoubtedly, Costello is a product of her own hard work. The United States Air Force
cultivated a work ethic that skies above the rest. Four years in the armed forces and 10 months on the ground in Qatal took its toll, but in the end, her valor paid off.

Trying to sum it all up, Costello pauses, trying to handpick the right words.. She wears a rubber bracelet inscribed, "Never Give Up."

"I'm definitely so grateful for my experiences because I definitely would not be as strong as I am now without it," she finally says. "You've got to work hard to get something and being in the military just reinforced that so much more. It's always worth it in the end."

__________________________________________________________________________

On May 13 and 14, with utmost approbation and admiration, the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta Presented by Coca-Cola will proudly welcome Amn Mary M. Costello, Aerospace Medical Technician, to the 2011 Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta.

Brendan F. Quinn
Editorial Writer
Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee
DVROC Office Line: (610) 234-2076
brendan.quinn@dadvail.org.
www.dadvail.org
www.twitter.com/DadVaildotTV

About the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Presented by Coca-Cola®
The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta presented by Coca-Cola is the largest collegiate regatta in North America with over 100 colleges and universities from the United States and Canada. Held annually since 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the Schuylkill River, thousands of student athletes and spectators visit the City of Philadelphia during the weekend of the second Saturday in May.

About Title Sponsor — Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management Inc is the wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC, a global investment management group which is headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and manages more than $287 billion of assets for both institutions and private individuals (as of Dec. 31, 2010). Philadelphia is home to the U.S. equity and fixed income investment management teams, as well as U.S. client servicing, consultant relations, business development and other operational staff: more than 180 employees in total. Aberdeen manages and services approximately $53 billion in total assets on behalf of North American and international clients. For more information, visit www.aberdeen-asset.us Here in the U.S., Aberdeen is also proud to be one of the supporters of the British Garden at Hanover Square, New York. This New York City park celebrates historic ties of friendship and unity between the U.S. and the UK. Globally, Aberdeen has a long standing association with university rowing competitions having sponsored the Oxford v Cambridge University Boat Race in the UK from 1999 – 2005. The company also continues to support the Aberdeen Universities Boat Race in Aberdeen, Scotland in their annual event which takes place every February.

About Presenting Sponsor — The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Together with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 14 billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

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