They are trained to row until they don't have another stroke left in them. When they stop, their callused hands may bleed and every muscle in their body may scream, but that's the way it works. It's no coincidence that the sport traces its roots back to Egyptian war vessels, when oarsmen were whipped to pull harder by slave drivers. We have to have an uncommon level of dedication to have the strength and training. It's a sport that's somewhat anonymous, so you don't find a lot of hotdogs.
Teamwork is essential.
When you watch an eight, the thing that's most striking is the machine-like precision. It's almost like a ballet, the total coordination of effort. Members of an eight get motivation from the synergy of the team. They tend to feed off each other. They're all pistons in an eight-cylinder engine.