 Addi at her high school graduation with her family Humans are programmed to find the simplest way to do something— the path of least resistance. Some might call this trait laziness, but really it’s just programming in our brain trying to do the least amount of effort for the greatest reward. However, humans are complicated. Many of us often exert a lot of energy doing extremely hard things that are not necessary for survival. Take marathon runners, IronMan competitors, master pianists, or professors with several degrees for example. Training to put your body through unfathomable challenges or practicing for years of your life to be an expert in a subject or a craft is by no means our brain looking to do the least amount of effort. People constantly strive to enrich their lives through the pursuit of hard things— and rowing is certainly no exception. Addi DerGarabedian was first introduced to the sport the summer before her freshman year of high school. She took part in the Learn-To-Row program, but between cheer and soccer, she did not have time to continue to row. Just a short time later, unfortunately a few concussions meant she was no longer able to cheer. One of Addi’s friends, Hailey, rowed at SRA and urged Addi to try becoming a coxswain. Curious about what a coxswain was, Addi had her parents email the coaches to see if she could join mid-season and they welcomed her to cox on the junior girls team. Later, she moved to the junior boys team and has not looked back since.  “Rowing has taught me so much about myself and prepared me for life so well,” Addi said. “I don’t think there is anything else that teaches you as much about accountability, adaptability, time management, teamwork, or connections as rowing.” Addi quickly felt as if the boathouse was a second home— a place to grow, learn, have fun, and push herself. The consistency of practices, shared goals, and supportive teammates made SRA a palace where Addi could truly tune out the rest of the world. “No matter what was going on in my life, whether it was something hectic with school or something with family, I knew that when I was at the boathouse, I got to contribute to something greater than myself. You can tune out anything else going on in your life and focus on greater goals,” she reflected. The coaching staff was a great sort of mentorship for Addi, who listed Executive Director Sarah Low as one of her greatest role models. She also gave special thanks to Coach Liza Dickson, Ethan Currie, and Sierra Williams and said she would always be grateful for their guidance. “All of our coaches can push you as an athlete while also caring about you as a person first,” she said. Addi added that Simon Williams, Director of Equipment and Facilities, was one of the kindest people she ever met and she was grateful for the many things he does behind the scenes to facilitate effective practices.  Addi with SRA's Junior Boys V8+ holding their trophy after winning Regionals Her coaches helped her secure her greatest rowing accomplishment at Northwest Regionals her senior year of high school. At Northwest Regionals, the SRA junior boys won the U19 Men’s Varsity 8+ by open water and placed second in the U19 Varsity 4+ after a tight race. They took that 4+ to Youth Nationals, where they finished eighth, marking SRA’s first A Final appearance in a decade. “It was surreal to be part of that moment in our club’s history, and the fact that I was leaving that legacy as I graduated high school was something I am super proud of,” Addi remarked. Another standout memory for Addi was coxing SRA’s Mid-Morning Women’s 4+ 60+ at the Head of the Charles Regatta during her senior year. “Being surrounded by women who were moms, had full-time jobs, and still were just as dedicated to rowing as I was—that was incredibly inspiring,” Addi said. “They showed me what it means to make time for something you love and take time for yourself, no matter how busy life gets. I still keep in touch with many of them; they made a huge impact on me.” During the summer of 2024, she had the opportunity to cox at Penn AC Gold, a high-performance team based in Philadelphia. Addi coxed the Women’s Varsity 8+ and 4+ and went on to medal in both events at the Independence Day Regatta in Philadelphia and Summer Nationals in Oklahoma City. “It was amazing how quickly we bonded, and that experience was extremely positive for me. Penn AC did a fantastic job developing me as an athlete and I got to be coached by Coach Sarah Low and Coach Sierra Williams, who are now at SRA and have become huge mentors for me,” she said. Racing and training with some of the best junior athletes in the country made Addi unequivocally clear that she wanted to try and compete at the highest level in college.  Addi with her Penn AC boat Addi’s rowing career has continued at Clemson University where she was recruited to the Division I Women’s Rowing team. Clemson ended their 2025 season ranked 22nd in the country, and Addi looks forward to being part of the program’s growth as they have welcomed a new coaching staff. Addi told us, “One of my biggest goals is to eventually cox the U23 team for Team USA after building a successful college career.” Many of Addi’s rowing goals also connect to her career goals. At Clemson University, she is majoring in Sports Communications with a minor in Business Administration. She hopes to one day become a rowing coach and eventually serve as an athletic director. “Rowing has given me so much—it’s something I want to stay connected to for the rest of my life, whether that’s through coaching, mentoring, or competing.” Rowing has completely transformed Addi’s life. “As a coxswain,” Addi said, “I learned to make quick, confident decisions while staying calm, motivate people with different personalities, and balance accountability with empathy. These are all skills that now help me excel in day-to-day life and school. Rowing gave me a strong sense of purpose when I needed one most. It helped me find confidence in my voice and taught me that leadership isn’t about being the loudest person in the boat, but about bringing out the best in others. It also gave me a community that feels like family and some of my best memories and friends— things I’ll always be grateful for.”  Addi (far right) with her Clemson coaches This brings us back to our earlier point about humans doing hard things despite our natural disposition to seek the easiest path forward. Rowing is full of difficult practices, grueling workouts, complex racing strategies, and more. Addi added, “Rowing has taught me that growth happens when things get uncomfortable— and that mindset will guide me through college, my career, and life.”
For novices, Addi recommends being a “sponge”. She encourages novices to ask questions, stay curious, and soak up everything you can. “Additionally, to quote Coach Liza, “Control the controllables.” Meaning focus on controlling what you CAN control: how you show up every day, your attitude, how hard you push yourself, what type of teammate you are,” she advised. When she is not at practice 20+ hours a week, Addi loves to be outside. You can find her hiking, walking, or hanging out at the lake. Addi also loves to be involved in the Clemson community. She spends her free time serving on Clemson's student body government on Freshman Council and volunteers weekly at Clemson's local elementary school mentoring students there. Addi shared her immense gratitude for all the people who have gotten her to where she is today. “I truly have the most supportive family on the planet and I would be nowhere without them,” Addi said. “Many of my goals would not have been able to be achieved without the support of my family and friends, as well as trusting God's plan” Addi shared with us that she is very happy with her decision to attend Clemson University and is a proud student athlete. “Go Tigers!” She exclaimed proudly. We can’t help but thank Addi for bringing such a positive light to our community. Addi— thank you for choosing to challenge yourself at SRA. Our community would not be the same without you!  High school is portrayed quite frequently through movies, novels, and television show adaptations. Often, our main character is a young adult trying to find where they fit in and who they want to become. In real life, high school mirrors those dramatizations quite closely as youths enter the transition from child to young adult. In the United States especially, it can seem like these kids are thrown directly into a pit of responsibility as their grades and extracurriculars are heavily scrutinized before and during the college admissions process. Trying to figure out who you are, what you want to be, and how you’re going to get there all while your prefrontal cortex is still not fully developed can be incredibly overwhelming. Luckily for SRA Junior Program alumni Justin Buckley, he had Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) to anchor him during this time. During the summer following 8th grade, Buckley was encouraged to give rowing a try by his friends and family. “I realized how much more dedicated my teammates at rowing were than my teammates in my other sports. I was smitten pretty quickly,” Buckley said. In 9th and 10th grade, Buckley split his time between rowing and soccer, but before long, “rippin’ watts on the erg” was all he could think about. “SRA was the first place I felt like I was truly with my people,” Buckley commented. “My teammates had the same ambitions as me, and the team dynamic reinforced a culture of hard work and commitment to the craft. In a lot of ways, SRA was my high school experience. Rowing was the highlight of my day. It occupied a good chunk of my thoughts during the school day, and it was an area where I could make tangible, consistent improvements that made me feel like I was actually going somewhere with my life. During those periods in high school when nothing else was going right, I could reliably pour my energy into my rowing and get a positive ROI. The more I invested in rowing, the better I got, and the more I wanted to invest further.” Most juniors who row at SRA echo Buckley’s thoughts or have a similar experience. Like anything, rowing takes some getting used to. Rowers find that their coaches and teammates are incredibly supportive of the journey and they gain confidence in the boat and in their life outside the boathouse. Rowing is a constant teacher. One of the greatest lessons it teaches is teamwork. During his junior year in the Varsity 8+, Buckley experienced the power of teamwork firsthand. He and his boat had lost their race to Rose City at Regionals by one second even though they had been beating them at regattas all year. Determined not to be defeated by Rose City again, Buckley and his teammates trained hard during his senior year. “The entire team had a hellacious winter that year where we put in a crazy amount of mileage on the erg and in the freezing cold on the water,” he remembered. “Everyone was pushing. The 4V pushed the 3V, the 3V pushed the 2V, and the 2V pushed the 1V. The result that year was everything we could have dreamed of. Not only did we stick it to Rose City and win gold in the 1V 8+, but every 8+, 1V through 4V, won gold, and Sammamish swept Regionals for the first time in history!”  Buckley, far right, with his teammates from the SRA Junior Boys squad. Despite such a historic Regionals his senior year, Buckley said his greatest rowing accomplishment was breaking 6:00 on a 2k erg in 2024. Buckley is a private rowing coach (@rowrecruit on Instagram) helping high school student-athletes get recruited to row in college. It is important for him to practice what he preaches to his high school clients so he continues to train on the erg. It was his goal to break 6:00 on the 2k since May 2023 and he finally accomplished it in early 2024. “It was the culmination of so much work and even despite a great career at SRA and the Yale Lightweights, breaking six minutes is the happiest rowing memory for me,” he said.
While his days in a shell on the water are in the past for him, he still routinely trains on the erg and plans to continue incorporating it into his workouts for the foreseeable future. “My goals in rowing have shifted from me to my athletes,” Buckley admitted. “I've helped my athletes get recruited to every Ivy League school and earn over four million dollars in scholarship money. Being a part of young ambitious rowers' journeys is the most rewarding thing to me, and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to make my passion my job.” We asked Buckley what his best advice for novice rowers is and he had plenty to say. He encourages novices to fall in love with the process, not the scoreboard. “Rowing rewards discipline over talent. You won't see progress day to day, but if you show up early, listen to your coaches, and give your full effort every practice, you'll quietly build the kind of foundation that almost nobody else has the patience for. The athletes I've seen go furthest aren't always the most gifted, they're just the ones who learned to enjoy the grind before it ever paid off,” he emphasized. Buckley added that it was hard to find a way rowing has not transformed his life. “Rowing gave me direction in high school, got me into Yale, is the foundation of my thriving college recruiting business, and has taught me a resilience and dedication that makes me proud of myself,” he reflected. There is a long line of people for him to thank throughout his rowing journey and admitted he did not know of any sport that would have been more beneficial for his high school self. Like Buckley, many of our high school student-athletes are looking to grow into a more confident version of themselves but often lack the structure or mentors to help them navigate this uncertain period of their lives. Fortunately, the coaching staff at SRA have decades of experience in developing well-rounded rowers. Our coaches teach our juniors about sportsmanship, time-management, perseverance, teamwork, accountability, and so much more. Aside from his life as a rowing coach and mentor, Buckley has been playing the piano for almost 20 years and is almost a National Master in chess. In his spare time, he is also learning how to be a DJ! In whatever he does, Buckley puts forth his full effort just like he did during his junior days at SRA. We are thrilled to have him as part of our community and look forward to seeing the incredible impact he makes in the lives of other high school rowers.  Laurel Case, 2 seat at the Tail of the Lake Regatta Until the 1980’s, there was little opportunity for adult women to row. In the Northwest, the few adult women who did row were likely graduates of the University of Washington Women’s Crew or Eastern College programs. There was very little local competition and no small rowing centers besides Lake Washington Rowing Club. The tide began to turn when Dick Erickson, the University of Washington’s Head Men’s Coach and Rowing Director, returned from the Henley Royal Regatta and was challenged by two women at the Seattle Yacht Club to teach them to row. In late March of 1982, a small group of determined women from Seattle, Meydenbauer Bay and Rainier Yacht Club showed up at the University of Washington for six weeks of training. These women acquired the name “Dick’s Chicks”, a name this group of women were given by the parking attendant at the UW. Shortly after the creation of Dick’s Chicks, they became the Conibear Rowing Club. Among the members of Dick’s Chicks was Laurel Case, who was asked by a group of women at the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club in 1985 if she wanted to learn to row. Case had recently left her job in public accounting and joined the yacht club with her husband and 9-month-old daughter. She gladly accepted the invite and was coached by Dick Erickson where he prepared her and her teammates for the Opening Day Regatta. If you think being coached by rowing icon Dick Erickson is impressive, Case has also had the honor of being coached by a long list of icons throughout her rowing career including Stan Pocock, Charlie MacIntyre, Frank Cunningham, and SRA’s own Tom Woodman! She fondly remembers rowing for an hour in a coxed pair with Stan Pocock as the coxswain. In her 40 years of rowing, she has also had the privilege of rowing with many local clubs including Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club, Conibear Rowing Club, Seattle Yacht Club, Lake Washington Rowing Club, Charley McIntyre Rowing Club, the Pocock Rowing Center, and Sammamish Rowing Association where she has rowed for the past 16 years. She joined SRA in 2009 and has loved rowing on the combined men’s and women’s team under Tom Woodman’s leadership.  Laurel Case, top left, with 5am teammates. One of her favorite rowing memories came from her 5am teammates who honored her by naming a new single the “Laurel”. “I think some of them thought this would entice me to at least try rowing a single… hasn’t happened!” Case joked. In her 40 years engaged in this sport, Laurel has an impressive rowing resume. Thinking back, she said her biggest accomplishments had to be winning a gold medal at the Head of the Charles Regatta in 1991 in the Women’s Master 4+. The Head of the Charles is a globally recognized regatta that dates back to 1965. Hundreds of thousands of athletes have dreamed of racing down the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts to victory, but only a small percentage of those athletes have been able to secure a gold medal. In 1993, Case worked with Stan Pocock to open the Pocock Rowing Center, another one of her favorite memories. This center was completed in 1994 by the founders of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation to honor the legacy of George Pocock by ensuring access to the incredible sport of rowing.  Laurel Case, far right, at HOCR. Having benefitting from decades of coaching by local legends, Case has some simple yet impactful advice for novice rowers. “Sit up, breathe, keep your head in the boat, relax and enjoy,” she said. “I love being on the water early in the morning,” Case mentioned when thinking about how rowing has enhanced her life. “The wildlife, sunrises, plus the great full body workout and wonderful teammates and friends are all the ways my life is better because of rowing.” Sammamish Rowing Association sits at the north end of Lake Sammamish in a protected wetlands area. Rowers are treated to a beautiful natural environment with flourishing biodiversity. From wildlife to native plants, there’s always something for the eye to enjoy during practice. For the past 8 years, Case has been a snowbird and has spent 6 months of the year in Palm Desert and the other 6 months here in Washington state. She always looks forward to her 6 months of rowing with SRA. No matter where she is, Case loves being outdoors and exercising. You can often find her hiking or on daily walks with her two chocolate labradors, at Pure Barre classes, tearing it up on the pickleball court, or riding her bike in Palm Desert. When she isn’t outside or on the move, Case loves to treat her friends and family to her cooking or baked goods. It is not often you meet rowers who have decades of experience in the sport and have experienced as many local milestones as Laurel Case has. From being coached by legends to being involved in the formation of different clubs or rowing centers, Case has a rowing background that is rich and our local rowing scene is better with her having been a part of it. We feel fortunate and grateful to have her as part of the SRA family for 16 years and counting!
 At Sammamish Rowing Association, we often say that rowing is a lifelong sport. As long as you are big enough to help carry a boat, rowing is a sport you can enjoy from middle school well into your senior years. While many of our adult (masters) rowers have begun rowing as adults through our Learn to Row programs, Patrick Eames is one of our masters who found his passion for rowing early on. In Kirkland, Washington, Patrick’s parents signed him up for a summer camp on Lake Washington when he was around 16 years old. The camp was meant to be both a rowing and sailing camp, but the sailboats were out of commission so Patrick found himself thrown in a single. “It was very large with a red deck and I remember thinking it was impossibly unstable,” Patrick said. “I never looked back from there and have been rowing since.” His novice year was spent largely in that single where he recalls flipping many times. “Sometimes, it is a wonder coaches ever kept after me,” he joked. He remembers his first racing experience as a novice was at Junior Regionals where despite not recalling how they finished, he knows it was that moment that had him hooked on racing. Throughout high school, Patrick rowed and attended the typical local regattas— Brentwood, Greenlake and Regionals. He attended the University of Washington, but sculled out of his old boathouse instead of joining the team. This allowed him to be a highly proficient sculler. Following college, Patrick worked on the eastside and it made sense for him to join Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA). He started out as an independent rower, but gravitated towards the team structure joining what was known at the time as Rowing 2 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. He credits the camaraderie as one of the main reasons he has continued to row alongside the opportunity to compete in regattas.  Patrick helps Coach Liza and Coach Ethan rig a boat at Masters Regionals “While I have spent a lot of time in a single, rowing at its core (to me) is a team sport. I enjoy the team aspect of rowing— working with teammates toward the common goal,” Patrick commented. Racing with his teammates has created some of his best memories at the club. From winning the 2- with Marc McGinnis, the 2x with Jess Pare at regionals, the San Diego Crew Classic in the Men’s 8+, and placing 5th in the Men’s 8+ at the Head of the Charles Regatta— the memories and lessons learned are endless. “If I had to pick one memory it would be medaling at the Head of the Charles Regatta in the Men’s 40+ 4+,” he added. The team had been racing in the Men’s Club 4+ for a few years and despite not winning, they kept qualifying to come back. Eventually they aged up into the Men’s 40+ 4+ category and drew bow number 24 of 24— starting in the back of the pack. “Once racing, our coxswain, Jess Pare, was able to steer a superb course. Every boat moved out of our way. One boat yielded, allowing us to pass, and then moved right back into our waking for the ideal line. We later found out we had taken 3rd place. We were ecstatic with this result having never medaled at the Head of the Charles Regatta.” With years of experience racing in highly competitive local and national regattas, you would think Patrick would be completely comfortable and relaxed at every competition. That is not the case! “It is alright to be nervous before a race,” Patrick said when asked about his best advice for novice rowers. “I have been racing for more than 25 years. I am still sick to my stomach with nerves before a race. It is completely normal. Once you are racing, nervousness goes away.” He also added that novices should “enjoy the process”— that process being working towards getting better and faster with your teammates.  Patrick, bow seat, at a past Opening Day Regatta Competition and the camaraderie of being on a team are the best parts of rowing in Patrick’s mind, but he added that the sport itself is a great option for those looking to exercise with less risk of injury. You can row as intensely or recreationally as desired. In fact, SRA’s masters teams offer those varying rowing experiences. Many of our adult rowers race, but others are just as happy to enjoy time with friends, get in some exercise in a beautiful natural setting, and cheer on their teammates who do choose to compete. In his 25+ years of rowing, Patrick said that one thing SRA has done that has stood out to him the most has been the improvement of equipment. From boats to launches, SRA has made a huge effort to provide the best equipment possible for its rowers. Looking back on his earlier days at SRA, Patrick said, “I recall being at a race and running across a broken seat. It had almost literally split in half. We didn’t have a spare seat available and in an effort to get the boat racing a coach and I found a spare skeg and taped it to the seat to provide enough rigidity to allow it to be raced. Our rowing equipment has dramatically transformed since this time.” Before SRA hired Coach Matt Lundberg, who manages our launches and other equipment, Patrick had assumed the responsibility of repairing the launch fleet. Once Matt was hired, that responsibility was transferred to him, but Patrick continues to help when the launches need work. Rowing clubs are hard on launches, and at SRA, most launches are used at least twice a day between masters and junior practices. There was one summer where Patrick recalled he and Matt would fix one launch only for another to go out of service the next day. “Launches require constant maintenance from changing steering cables that snap, to replacing batteries, to putting on new propellers because one just fell off, or replacing a whole flywheel. These are just a few of the things that happen behind the scenes.” One might think Patrick is a mechanical engineer, but he has been a software engineer for The Boeing Company for over 25 years. He supports Boeing Commercial Aircraft building software to design, build, and support airplanes.  Patrick shakes hand with one of his 5am rowing teammates When he isn’t rowing, racing, or fixing launches, Patrick enjoys road biking. He will ride in any conditions, and while he does not do cycling races, he does enjoy cycling events. He has done the Seattle to Portland ride multiple times (a 200+ mile journey!) and enjoys riding with one of his daughters who shares his biking interest. In fact, Eames has twice ridden his bike back home from Northwest Masters Regionals in Eugene, Oregon!
Patrick has three children with his wife, Ellen. Michelle (19), Nicole (17), and Erik (15) do not row, but they keep themselves plenty busy with a plethora of other activities and interests. Ellen rowed for a short time awhile ago, but Patrick remains the primary rower of the family. We are immensely grateful to have him as part of our community and for all the many hours he has volunteered to help fix our launches or other items needing an extra hand. He is an outstanding teammate and our SRA family always looks forward to seeing him— either at our 5:00am practices, regattas, or various community events. “SRA is a fantastic rowing program,” Patrick reflected. “Our size, our sharing of equipment across teams, our desire to include people but also go out and race. SRA is a wonderful place to row.” We look forward to many more wonderful years of rowing with Patrick Eames! |
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Sammamish Rowing Association
5022 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE Redmond, WA 98052 [email protected] 425-653-2583 |
Mailing Address:
Sammamish Rowing Association P.O. Box 3309 Redmond, WA 98073 |
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