SRA Stories: Sue McKain

In 1982 women’s masters rowing got its start in the Seattle area. Dick Erickson, head coach of the rowing program at the University of Washington at the time, helped women get their start as he was in the midst of preparing for the Opening Day Regatta in tandem with the Seattle Yacht Club. Women in the club posed the question, “Why can’t we row?”

Sue McKain

It was 1985 when Sue McKain’s husband stumbled across the Corinthian Yacht Club newsletter that had an announcement. The newsletter stated that any woman who wanted to learn to row could show up at the University of Washington boathouse and learn. The women would then have the opportunity to race in the Opening Day Regatta against women who belonged to other yacht clubs. McKain took the opportunity and was coached by Dick Erickson for three months. “That got me hooked,” McKain said. 

A rowing comic from McKain's rowing scrapbook

McKain grew up in Medina. She attended the University of Puget Sound and earned a degree in Occupational Therapy. Now retired, McKain worked in pediatrics for 27 years. “I worked with kids with special needs and their families.” she said, “It was very rewarding, and at times incredibly challenging.” I will never forget working with so many inspiring and resourceful parents. Now McKain enjoys rowing, quilting, hiking, biking, gardening in her large garden, and watercolor painting.  She also tutors an at risk student through a program called “Kid Reach.”

Before her personal start in rowing in 1985, McKain was already familiar with the sport. Her dad rowed at the University of California, Berkeley in 1931 as a Freshman. When his family moved to Los Angeles, he was on the first men’s crew team at UCLA. He was in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics trials in a coxed four.  McKain’s father had a whole album dedicated to rowing photos. She remembers thumbing through the album often. “I was always fascinated by the sport,” she said.

Before coming to row for Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) in 2015, McKain had rowed many years starting with Conibear, Seattle Yacht Club and Montlake Rowing Club. Her early days of rowing took her on many adventures including Masters FISA regattas in Scotland, France, and Italy. Just like her dad she has a thick album dedicated to preserving the memories of her ongoing rowing career. Inside were photos from practices and races, poems written by her teammates about the sport, posters from renowned regattas, crew comics, news articles, and even more precious pieces of memorabilia.

When McKain retired, she no longer had to row with a group early in the morning. Her 4:30am alarms were now in the past, and she was hoping to join a new team. That’s when Paul Harvey suggested SRA. “He and I rowed together when he was part of Ancient Mariners and I was part of the Seattle Yacht Team. He said I had to come to SRA,” McKain added.

McKain and her daughter decorated with well earned medals

Since joining Sammamish, McKain has truly loved the community she found here. “The gals are just so supportive and encouraging, it really keeps me coming back. SRA is a great community to be a part of,” she said. McKain has thoroughly enjoyed the coaches she has had over the years and loves being competitive. She doesn’t see an end to her participation in rowing in the coming years, but she recognizes that there is not a large number of athletes competing in her age division. “I can’t imagine coming to SRA and not rowing with the competitive girls, but there aren’t too many 70+ competitors at regattas,” she said.

It wasn’t only friendships and good memories that the sport gave McKain. Rowing was a way for her to keep her mind off three cancer diagnoses. McKain had skin cancer a few years ago and just this past year went through treatments for breast and thyroid cancer. Thankfully McKain is currently cancer free and still rowing! “Life doesn’t stop,” she said when discussing how she got through her treatments. “You need to have something to look forward to. Rowing provided that.”

Providing advice to new rowers, McKain said that when learning to row you should “Be patient with yourself. This is a sport where you keep learning for years. I have had some of the greatest names in the coaching industry coach me:  Dick Erickson, Eleanor McElvaine, Stan Pocock, Mary Whipple, Matt Lundberg … and they’ve all taught me new things.”

An illustration in McKain's rowing scrapbook depicting a picture of one of her old rowing teams

Every day she continues to make new memories, but one of her favorite rowing memories was at the 2016 San Diego Crew Classic. “It flew by,” she said. “It was such a great row. I felt that moment where it seems so easy even though you’re working so hard. We would've won it if it wasn’t for the Chinook’s composite boat! We still felt great about getting second place. The common focus, common excitement, common support where we all trusted each other was amazing.” ​

First place at Regionals last June in the G 4+ category

For thirty-four years Sue McKain has been leaving an amazing mark on the local rowing community since women’s masters teams were first founded. Her rowing roots run deep, and her passion for the sport continues to thrive. Sammamish Rowing Association has been lucky to have her in our community, and we look forward to seeing what she continues to accomplish!