The cast of Netflix’s YA sports drama Crew Girl opens up about grueling rowing training and freezing shoots. Stream all 8 episodes on Netflix today!
The cast of Netflix's sports drama series Crew Girl has revealed the intense physical preparation and cold-weather filming conditions required to portray elite rowers on screen. Created by showrunner Vivian Lin and co-developed with Morwyn Brebner for Blue Ant Studios and Great Pacific Media, the eight-episode teen series made its global streaming premiere on September 10, 2026. Fronted by Miku Martineau (Kate, Star Trek: Section 31), the high-stakes high school drama centers on a talented rower navigating prep school rivalries and family turmoil.
What Is Netflix's Crew Girl About?
Crew Girl dives deep into the high-stakes environment of elite high school athletics, blending competitive rowing action with messy teenage romance.
- The Core Plot: The story follows 16-year-old Teagan Tao (Miku Martineau), a gifted single-sculls rower whose life is upended by a public family scandal. Forced to relocate to the East Coast and enroll at elite Easton Prep, she discovers the school has no girls' rowing team.
- The Coxswain Challenge: Determined to stay on the water, Teagan lands the spot of coxswain for Easton's chaotic boys' varsity crew, forcing her to command a squad of headstrong athletes.
- Central Love Triangle: While steering the boat toward championship contention, Teagan finds herself caught between golden-boy teammate Josh Regis (Sam Braun) and scholarship rower Cam Dillinger (Kyle Clark).
How Did the Cast Train for Their Rowing Roles?
To convincingly portray elite competitive athletes, the young ensemble underwent an intensive rowing boot camp under the direction of Olympic gold-medal-winning coxswain Terry Paul.
- Brutal Schedule: Lead star Miku Martineau balanced a demanding filming schedule on another project during the week, spending her weekends practicing on the water to master the sport.
- Freezing Weather Conditions: Production took place across British Columbia, including Victoria and Beaver Lake, where autumn shoots presented dense fog, sudden rainstorms, and freezing water temperatures.
- Staying Warm Between Takes: To survive long hours on the water, cast members relied on heavy blankets and heat packs while technical teams prepped camera drones and towing barges.
- Authentic Athleticism: Growing up playing competitive sports, Martineau stressed the importance of properly honoring rowing technique, balancing accurate athletic posture with complex camera angles and dialogue delivery.
All eight episodes of Crew Girl Season 1 are available to watch globally on Netflix.