Finding my Olympic team calling

I love the Olympics.  I love watching the Olympics.  I think it would be so cool to be in the Olympics.  If I could do any Olympic sport, I think I'd either be a gymnast or a springboard diver.  Of course, both would require me to be about 10-15 years younger than I currently am and I'd actually have to know how to flip and dive at the elite level, but hey, one can dream.  But consider this question, is there any sport that you could do right now, at your current age and physical fitness and go to the Olympics?
I think I've found it!  The coxwain of a rowing team!
Check it out.  The coxwain has to be petite, able to keep everyone in time, yell loud, and be motivational.  They don't actually do any of the rowing, although they do have to steer the boat.  I think I could do that!  I'm about the same size as the coxwain of the 8-woman US boat that won the gold yesterday.  I am a musician, so I can keep time.  I can yell.  And I've had lots of practice motivating people during VO2peak tests, which are pretty physically grueling.  Now, I've never actually tried to steer a boat, so that would definitely take practice.  And I'm not saying that being a coxwain is easy, as I've never done it before so I can't make that claim.  But I think I could give it a go for sure. 
Changing gears slightly, I've been watching all the Olympic gymnastics.  It was so cool to see the women's team get the gold medal, 16 years after the Mag 7 did it in Atlanta.  Those girls are tough, but so cute!  It was unfortunate that Jordyn Wieber (the reigning all around World Champion) didn't get to compete in the all around finals because of the two-per-country rule.  And it was also unfortunate that Aly Raisman lost the tie-breaker for the all around bronze.  Gymnastics sure does have some odd rules.  But hats off to Gabby for winning the all around gold medal, making this the third Olympics in a row that an American woman has seized that crown.  It is crazy to think that she is only 16 years old and is now the idol of dozens of little girls.  It's like one day you're an athlete and the next day you are Olympic royalty.  I can only imagine.  But anyway, I was watching some of the videos on the NBC Olympics website and there was one of Nastia Liukin (the 2008 all around gold medalist) talking about her performance at this year's Olympic Trials, and how she could have withdrawn after crashing on bars.  But she didn't because she has always been taught to finish what she starts, even if things aren't going well.  That phrase really struck a chord with me, as I am at the end of my dissertation experience (and therefore my PhD), and many times recently, I have felt tempted to quit, to pass my data off to someone else, to clean out my office and never set foot in my lab again.  But I too am not a quitter, and I know that leaving now would only be the easy way out.  After all these years of school and hard work, I too must finish what I've started.  So thanks Nastia for giving me a little Olympic inspiration to keep the dream alive.