Spending a Saturday morning in the middle of a river in 40-degree temperatures while testing one's physical and mental toughness might not sound like the best way to start your weekend.

But, then, you're not Kelly Cesare.

The 15-year-old sophomore at Mars High School will be participating in the Head of the Ohio rowing competition this weekend.

"I'm a competitive person," said Cesare. "I like working toward something and the reward of winning.

"There's going to be teams from all over the Pittsburgh area, including some from West Virginia and Ohio," she added.

Cesare and a partner will set out from Washington's Crossing on the Allegheny River at 7:30 a.m. and row until they get to Heinz Field, a distance of about 3½ miles.

That sounds tough enough, but there's more.

"A few hours after the doubles competition, I will be part of a quad with three other girls and race again."

Cesare and her teammates are members of the All-City Rowing Team. Members come from high schools all over the greater Pittsburgh area.

The vast majority of area high schools, including Mars, do not have rowing teams.

So how did Cesare get involved in the sport?

"During my eighth-grade year, I saw a rowing competition on the Allegheny River," she said. "I had never seen that before, but it interested me and I wanted to learn more about it."

Soon after, Cesare joined All-City Rowing and has stayed with it for nearly two years now.

"The biggest challenge when I first started was learning to balance the boat," she said. "It was always tipping to one side."

Cesare estimates that she's taken part in 10 competitions.

"Our best performance was up at (Lake Arthur)," she said. "We finished first in our heat race but ended up losing later on.

"I did compete in one individual race. But until I get a little better at it, I'm going to stick with the team races."

For a rowing team to be successful, all members must be on the same page.

"The girls I'll be racing with Saturday, we've been able to practice several times. That's important because it takes a lot of practice to get the rhythm together. Rowing is one of the most team-oriented sports there is.

"A lot of it comes down to where you are sitting in the boat. If you're sitting in the bow seat (nearest the front), it's you're job to change your position if the boat is about to hit something."

To become a solid performer in a sport as demanding as rowing, one must make a commitment to keep working between competitions.

"I have a rowing machine at home," Cesare said. "That's what I work on when the weather gets bad. And there's also summer camps you can go to and stay in shape."

Cesare would love to pick up her first win Saturday. But whatever the outcome, the strong effort will be there.

"This is going to be a long-distance race," she said. "It's going to test us physically and mentally.

"But, if I go out and try my best, I can't complain where we end up."