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SAMMAMISH ROWING ASSOCIATION
  • Inside SRA
    • Forms, Resources, and FAQs
    • Safety
    • Facility
    • Parking
    • Staff | Coaches
    • History
    • Board of Directors
    • Jobs
    • Videos
    • SRA Stories
    • Calendar
    • Contact
  • Programs
    • Adults
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Row for a Day
    • Learn to Row
  • Support SRA
    • SRA Development
    • Scholarship Fund
    • Steady State Giving
    • Donate Now
    • Sponsors

Sammamish ROWING
​SRA Stories

Coach Matt's Warm-up Wisdom

4/1/2020

 
On Race Warmups:
 
How many times have you heard your coach proclaim on an erg test day, “Do a race warmup, we’ll begin in xx minutes.” What do you do? If you find you’re spending the first half of the allotted time wondering exactly that, then here are some tips you can use to arm yourself for the next time it happens!
 
Race warm up should be built around 3 basic steps:
  • 1) get your body moving - Steady state for ~10 minutes
  • 2) get yourself ready for race pace - row in bursts of race pressure building the rates up to your race pace
  • 3) leave enough time to "recover" before you start - ~5-10 minutes between finishing your bursts and starting the race
 
1. The specifics of each segment will vary person to person, and you should pay attention to your body and what seems to work for YOU. You might need 20 minutes of light steady state to get your joints ready to work hard, or you might be fine with only 5 minutes light before moving on to the higher intensity of the rate builders. On the water at races, this often involves a drill to help everybody clear their heads and get the crew swinging together.
 
2. Getting ready for higher rates should look something like 1' on/ 1' off or 20 strokes on/ 20 strokes off, or 30 str/30 str, 20 str/30 str, 30"/45" etc. These should be at race pressure, and you should build starting at steady-state rate up to your race rate (for example, starting at 20 spm and building up 2 or 3 beats each interval through 32 spm.) Do a couple bursts at your race rate (depending on your interval format). The goal is to be breathing hard by the end; get your heart rate up above your aerobic zone to cue your metabolism that it's time to fight-or-flight. Again, you should be breathing hard after a race warm up, you should be sweating, you should be just a little worried that you went too hard on the warm up and started dipping into your "race reserves" - that’s a perfectly normal worry, and 10-to-1 you didn’t! You should not be gasping or falling off the erg unable to stand.
 
3. Getting a quick rest to recover before the race is important, since if you're adequately warmed up for a 2k, it means you worked hard. It means you primed your aerobic and anaerobic systems, burned through some glycogen stores, and that stuff needs some time to restock. Generally this is between 5-10 minutes of resting and active recovery. Again, the correct proportions will vary person to person (except on the water, when this part looks like rowing to the staging area and waiting to get called up, and you’re more or less at the mercy of the race officials and if it’s running on time). Do some dynamic stretching here, some more light recovery-paced steady state, or walking (this is your chance for a last-minute haircut!).
 
Once you get your 2k warm up dialed in, start thinking about how it applies to your pre-race warm up at regattas. Start with your event time, and work backwards through the three steps. Remember, that at a regatta, your warm up is the same for the whole crew, so if you know you're an "I need 30 whole minutes of steady state before I can start applying the rate/press" person, then you know that you need to start doing that 20-30 minutes before your hands-on is scheduled (go for a run, lunges, jumping jacks, etc.) 
 
Whew that was a lot about just warming up! Takeaway is: include the 3 basic steps, don't be afraid to experiment on your own, listen to your body!

​

An SRA Family: The Rockett's

1/20/2020

 
On this post we hear from Denise Rockett, mid-morning rower and mother to two junior rowers. Denise Rockett and her family have been incredible members of the Sammamish Rowing community, and have truly given back to the organization in so many ways. We are so fortunate to have many amazing members like the Rockett's, but we want to share their experience today. Read her story below!

PictureAdam Rockett, forth from the left
When we first moved to Seattle, it was very difficult for our children to make friends at school as we moved in the middle of the school year.  That first summer, Adam did the Learn to Row Camp and loved it!  It was the first time we saw him truly smile since we moved to the area.  The following fall, he became a Novice rower, where he trained with Coach Simon and made some like-minded friends who were good students, passionate rowers, and knew how to have a good time.  After that, he became an experienced rower with Coach Steven Freygang and then in his senior year, with Coach Dennis Ferrer where he took the LtWt 8+ all the way from Regionals to Nationals, which I believe was the first time the boys sent a LtWt8+ to nationals!  The friends Adam made through rowing are still his best friends today.  The integrity, teamwork, grit, competition and mentoring he received from the SRA rowing program has shaped the man Adam has become today as he starts his career right here in Seattle.

PictureRenee Rockett, six seat (second from left)
Renee watched her brother work hard, be part of a team, and bring home medals.  Being a swimmer, she was accustomed to competition but felt like rowing at SRA offered more of a team atmosphere and decided to follow in her brother’s footsteps making the leap to switch sports.  Renee caught the competitive rowing spirit and pushed herself during her novice year and earned a place in the Varsity boat her sophomore year.  She represented SRA and Washington by competing on the US Rowing team competing in the U17 8+ earning a gold and U17 4+ earning a bronze in Camden, NJ.  She has been coached by the best- Molly Lawrence, Marilyn Proby, Kelley Pope, David DeWinter, Nicki Hughes and Dennis Ferrer and so many more leaders at SRA.  Their leadership and coaching styles have definitely prepared Renee to be a great student athlete for next fall as a recruited part of the UW rowing team.

Not long after Renee started excelling at rowing and became more independent, I found my home to be far too quiet and decided to join the Master’s rowing team as a way to connect with my children, make some new friends, and work on my own fitness level.  It was much harder than I thought it would be and I had a new respect for my family and teammates. Being on the novice team and competing at races like Tail of the Lake, Row for the Cure, and Regionals were some of the best memories I will ever have.  I think being on the Row for the Cure committee for SRA was one of my proudest moments.  Helping to plan a successful event, raise money in honor of my mom who is a survivor, and bring the Pink Erg back to the SRA boathouse were all personal highlights.
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Denise Rockett (third from right) at Master's Regionals in Vancouver Washington proudly sporting a gold medal
PictureDenise Rockett, second from right, at a Row for the Cure event
Our family certainly appreciates all of the influence and hard work the coaches and staff give to our kids.  Volunteering was something I always wanted to do.  Whether selling flower baskets back in the day, flipping pancakes in the food tent, or raising money for Coach Appreciation Week four years running, the Rockett family shows up.  I quickly realized that by giving I received so much more through the life long friendships I have gained.  SRA is truly an extended family for us and we are ever so grateful for all the years we have had at SRA and look forward to an amazing evening at the gala to celebrate the club!

SRA Stories: 5am Women's HOCR Story

1/20/2020

 
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The 2018 HOCR as Bow 7
Sammamish Rowing Association has been enjoying increased success and athlete attendance at the Head of the Charles Regatta year after year. The Head of the Charles Regatta is the largest two-day regatta in the world. With over 11,000 athletes participating- competition is fierce. Athletes race on an extremely challenging course to steer on- the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts. The rowers must race up the Charles, following its many twists and turns while trying to pass or yield to other boats and while navigating under the proper arch of half a dozen multi-arched bridges. For most coxswains it is the most difficult course they will ever face.
Rowers dream of attending this event and only select athletes are invited or qualify to attend and race. This renowned head race is an intense performance for both rowers and coxswains alike. 

It sometimes takes a lot more than just physical superiority to win this race. Actually, most of the time it takes a special mix of certain qualities to make a great boat. One boat of women from the Sammamish Rowing Association 5am Team has seemed to check all the boxes for what it takes to be successful at the HOCR. 
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Calvert, Solaro, Miller, Teschke, and Carrillo (left to right)
Sally Solaro, Barb Calvert, Trisha Miller, Jennifer Teschke, and Genevieve Carrillo have rowed together as a boat for the past two Head of the Charles races in the Women’s 50+ category. These five women have been with SRA as long as eight years to at least four. All of them said that the reason they came together as a boat was because of their rowing coach- Tom Woodman.
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Jennifer snapping a selfie of the Women's 4+
“Tom always picks the lineups. He bases it on what makes the boat go fast,” Teschke said. Tom put these women together for the 2018 HOCR. Solaro and Calvert often rowed as pair partners, and all of them had rowed at HOCR at least four times, but for the four of them rowing this lineup was new. ​
What was also new was their coxswain, Genevieve Carrillo. Calvert met Carrillo on a plane. Calvert said, “We were coming back from the HOCR the year before. She (Carrillo) was sitting next to me on the plane so we had a few conversations. She had just coxed for the Cambridge Boat Club men. They had flown her out there and she spent the week going up and down the course with them. The men taught her how to cut every single curve and corner possible and what her sightlines should be. I asked ‘well would you ever be interested in coxing for us?’ We ended up exchanging phone numbers.”
Fate would have it that in 2018 Carrillo had not yet heard from the Cambridge Boat Club men, and Calvert called her to see if she would cox the SRA Women’s 4+. She accepted and has now coxed the women the past two years at HOCR, and the women attribute a good chunk of their success to her incredible steering, race calls, and motivation.

When asked if they were nervous before their 2018 race, Teschke said, “It wasn’t our first time down the race course so we felt pretty confident.” Tom was purposeful in practice. He would put us together as much as possible and give us some fours to race against.” They only encountered one hiccup, “We clashed oars, but that’s HOCR for you,” Teschke added, “There was no panic in the boat. It was more ‘they’re in our way, how do we get out of this.’ After clearing our oars we got back into the rhythm. 
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A 3rd place medal each rower earned
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They got an extra boost of motivation when they passed other boats. Solaro said, “We were bow 7 in that race and passed about 3 boats.”

Eventually the women finished and were told by Scott Winter that they placed second. Later on they verified it. They had won a silver medal at the HOCR. Calvert said, “We were very confident that we would make the top ten, but we wanted top five.” It turns out they certainly did make the top five with a boat from Cambridge being the only one to beat them. It’s important to point out that this Cambridge boat was comprised of Olympians and National Champions whereas the Sammamish boat had only one rower with collegiate rowing experience. Everyone else had learned as adults, two at SRA.
Fast forward to this year and the women again made top five, earning a bronze medal in the same race. While they still felt confident in each other, each woman experienced some setbacks. Miller said, “Going into 2019 I wasn’t less confident with the boat, I was less confident with myself.” Miller had been experiencing shoulder problems, and Calvert had broken her toe and hand earlier in the year so they had to work hard to keep up with training. 
For all of these women, training was brutal. Not only did they practice as a team on the water and on the ergs putting in several hours of hard work a week, but on top of that they trained individually. To achieve the success they had each woman had to put in numerous hours on their own spending extra time in the gym. Sacrifices were made to go the extra mile, and training without a teammate constantly by your side can be hard. Calvert said, “Training by yourself can be boring but I find the focus and dedication in this process is important.  It carries into the boat. When I get into the boat I think about all the hours, the focus, dedication I've put in.  Now it's all about just getting the job done.”
Overall, they trusted themselves, their teammates, and Tom to prepare for the 2019 HOCR. Solaro said, “It felt great getting back in our four after seat racing. It was different going in as bow 2 to chase a boat and hold off the pack rather than passing people.” 

All of the women talked about the incredible honor of being coached by Tom Woodman, a member of the 1980 Olympic Team. Woodman was featured in a mural of his Olympic 8 racing in Amsterdam on the wall of the CRI boathouse that the women visited to receive their rented boat. He has been with the 5am team for over 12 years, and brings a wealth of knowledge to his organized practices. Woodman helps all of his athletes discover and improve their anaerobic thresholds, and has saved extremely detailed notes on practices and seat races throughout his years of coaching.
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Going in as Bow 2 in the 2019 HOCR
Armed with the superior Sammamish Rowing coaching, and hours upon hours of training on their own, these five women were able to succeed year after year at the HOCR. Each of them had their own piece of advice towards creating a successful boat. Most of the successful characteristics of their boat included trust, chemistry, laughter, hard work, and practice.

Miller said, “I’m always talking to the juniors about this, but we always assume the best intent. The trust is there because I know they all trust me too. They know I’m working as hard as I can and they are too. There’s a seed of doubt in some boats whether everyone is trying hard enough and training on their off days, and with this boat there isn’t that doubt.”
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Bronze medal winner's standing on stage to accept their medals with Coach Tom Woodman
Teschke agreed adding, “Everyone knows I will work hard to pull as hard as I can. It can be poisonous in a boat if everyone decides someone is causing a problem. There’s no judgement with our boat.”

Solaro said, “We all know our role in the boat and we support each other in those roles. My goal is to get Barb’s ass over the line first!” Calvert has been their bow seat each year.

Calvert followed with, “Sally says she can do this all day long, so I know I can do it all day long.”
This boat from SRA’s 5am team has enjoyed incredible success and they credit not only themselves, but a talented coxswain, loyal coach, and supportive team. These women who wear matching loud leggings on the Friday before their HOCR race, are both relaxed and intensely focused. Their training was an intense mix of personal dedication and trust in their coach, Tom Woodman. Their practically daily dedication to hours of difficult, and sometimes very painful, workouts yielded results to be very proud of.

They look forward to a growing masters team as Sammamish welcomes in new rowers every year. While they would love to row in more HOCR events together, they leave their future in the trusted hands of Tom Woodman. They trust his process without question.

Congratulations Sally, Trisha, Barb, Genevieve, and Jennifer! Sammamish Rowing looks forward to more success from you all and great memories!
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Trisha, Jennifer, Sally, and Barb (left to right) standing by a photo wall mural of Tom Woodman in his 1980 Olympic 8+ in the CRI boathouse

David DeWinter: Epic Mountain Rowing

11/6/2019

 
As rowers, we learn to push ourselves to the limit. We encounter moments in which we discover our potential and realize just how far we can go to achieve a goal. These moments and experiences look different for everyone, especially Sammamish Rowing Association’s (SRA) coach, David DeWinter. DeWinter joined SRA over 10 years ago as a rower with no prior experience. Since then, his many years of hard work, smart training, and willingness to learn new things have resulted in multiple medal-winning performances at some of the world's most prestigious regattas for masters, including the Head of the Charles, Masters' Nationals, and Masters' Worlds. He has also spent some time as a coach for both masters and juniors to share what he’s learned during his time at SRA.
PictureDeWinter fiddling with his erg set up at the Hod Fowler Boathouse
“Throughout my time at SRA, I slowly learned the importance of mindset and its impact on successful performances, and I had to find my own ways to train it. I came up with these challenges outside of rowing that would help me become a mentally tougher person. I figured if I could do these things, then racing in a single for four or so minutes would be a piece of cake.” These challenges included car camping for 7 days while hiking 100 miles solo along the Mountain Loop Highway, and walking 110 miles around King County without set places to sleep—from Redmond to Edmonds to South Seattle and back across I-90.

This summer, DeWinter was itching for something new, and with a milestone birthday encouraging him to go big, he came up with the idea for Epic Mountain Rowing. He stumbled on the story of Matthew Disney—an ex-Royal Marine who walked between and climbed the 3 highest peaks in the UK all while carrying an erg (rowing machine), over 700km in total. At the top of each peak, Disney rowed the height of the mountain. “I thought this guy was crazy,” DeWinter added. “His challenge was called the ‘Three Peaks Challenge,’ which made me think of the ‘North Bend Triple Crown’ challenge, and what it would mean to apply the rowing machine to that.”

The North Bend Triple Crown is a local bragging right bestowed on hikers who scale Mt. Teneriffe, Mailbox Peak, and Mt. Si in 24 hours. The mountains range in height from 3900ft to 4800ft, so taking an erg up each of them in the same amount of time was non-trivial. “It was definitely crazy,” DeWinter added, “but at least it seemed possible.”
Not looking to train for any rowing races, DeWinter knew this wasn’t going to be about him. Instead he chose to dedicate this endeavor to SRA’s Scholarship Fund, which is vital in ensuring that all who join SRA get the opportunity to row regardless of their financial situation. “This organization has helped me grow in so many ways and made me a more resilient person physically and emotionally. Wouldn’t it be fitting to give back so that other people could get the same opportunities to learn what I did?”

Before announcing his plans, DeWinter had to figure out how to carry an erg up not just one, but three mountains in 24 hours. After previously hiking Rattlesnake Ledge with a 60-pound pack (about the weight of an erg), he knew he could physically handle the weight, but ergs are awkward, uncomfortable, and bulky machines. “I didn’t know how far I could carry an erg,” he said. “I tried to carry it the same way I saw Disney carry it, and I barely made it to the parking lot before feeling agonizing pain. I saw he had a bunch of foam padding on his body, but I thought there had to be a better way.”
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An erg DeWinter attached to a frame backpack
That’s when DeWinter learned about external frame backpacks. Hikers use these packs to secure all sorts of loads to the rigid frame they provide. For example, hunters often use them to carry out large game from the backcountry. He ordered a pack and got to work on attaching the erg. It took him several attempts, some including boat straps, bungees, and other configurations, before he found something that worked. He would test each configuration by walking longer and longer distances. “At some point I thought, ‘Okay, I better try carrying this up a mountain.’”
PictureA test hike with the erg
In early August, Coach Ethan Currie and DeWinter went to Bandera Mountain and made their way up slowly with the erg. “It was so difficult, because I had not done a lot of training to do a whole mountain,” he admitted. Even though the 8-mile hike took around seven hours to complete, they were successful, and the challenge became real.

Joining the junior rowers’ Ergathon fundraising efforts that will end on November 15th, DeWinter created social media for the challenge he branded Epic Mountain Rowing. On August 14th, the day after hiking Bandera, his adventure was announced, and he was committed.

While DeWinter was experimenting with the frame pack, junior rowing alumnus, Alex Sitzman, asked if he could join in on the challenge. Sitzman trained independently from DeWinter, but they collaborated on pack set-up before Sitzman went to Oregon in mid-September to begin his first year of college. 

Training was unique. Unlike a marathon or weight lifting competition there were no training plans to buy or personal trainers to hire.
DeWinter said about his training, “Here’s what I knew. I’d be hiking with a bunch of weight, and I’d be hiking for 30 miles. Those were the key components. The training involved identifying my current weaknesses, and being laser-focused on correcting as much as possible before the actual event. For example, I have to be on my feet for 30 miles, so I need to practice getting that much mileage without worrying about blisters. A lot of the training involved walking, running, and hiking without the pack for many miles. This told me whether or not my shoes were right. If I felt debilitating pain, I needed to change something.

“The second part of it was handling the weight. This one I didn’t feel as regimented about. Due to external pressure I had to be time-efficient with my workouts, so I did lunges with weights up and down the path and focused on heavy lifts in the gym. I couldn’t make it up to the mountains as much as I originally intended, but I went just enough to feel that I had fixed my major problems. About four days before the event, I did one last hike up Mount Si with the erg, and I felt incredibly powerful and confident for the challenge.
“There’s also a difference between knowing that you have a problem and knowing the solutions to try. I didn’t have a lot of experience with long hikes, so with limited time I enlisted help. I partnered with [SRA Independent Rower] Jan Schelter on a lot of planning and training based on her experience hiking the PCT, and when I had injuries throughout training I was relentless in pursuing advice from my PT. Without their support I would not have been as successful.”

Training came and went, and fundraising was going extremely well for the pair. Through their social media platforms and word of mouth, they quickly exceeded their $5,000 fundraising goal. On Saturday, October 12th, it was time to conquer the Triple Crown.
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DeWinter had recruited a team of volunteers for each mountain for both Sitzman and himself. Their job was to help with safety, provide support, talk to people on the trail who were curious about the group, and document the effort for social media. Although it seemed like smooth sailing on the day, DeWinter had to deal with some stress after a last-minute volunteer cancellation and a nervous rush to get the GPS tracking system running about 15 minutes before the start time. With all of that out of the way, all he had to do now was focus on the mountains.

At 1 PM, they set off on the trail to the summit of Mount Teneriffe. The 13-mile trail was the longest of the 3 mountains, but despite that, DeWinter mentioned that the first peak went relatively well. He kept a good pace and felt confident about his progress. His strategy for each mountain included planned stops for refueling and rest as well as tracking landmarks to help break up the mountain into manageable chunks.
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At 8:30 PM, DeWinter moved on to Mailbox Peak, where he began to feel the difficulty of his challenge. In the darkness, he and his crew marched onward, but DeWinter began to struggle. “I didn’t want to stop,” he said, “but the environment and the circumstances made me really frustrated.” Even though he had broken the trail down into sections, and he was aware that the boulder field had many false summits, the trail just seemed to be longer and more difficult in the dark.

After summiting at midnight, DeWinter was tired, agitated, and clearly not at the top of his game. In a moment of clarity, he recognized his struggle and asked his friend and SRA 5am rower Trish Miller to videotape him. It was important to him not to hide struggles from the camera. “There are so few chances that I get to be real with an audience about struggle. I know sometimes athletes see us [coaches] as invincible, and it was important to me to break down that myth.” That exercise, while excruciating, helped him calm down and rediscover his rhythm. He and his crew eventually made it off Mailbox about 3 hours later.

At 4:30 AM, DeWinter and a new crew started up Mount Si, the final mountain and the shortest of the three. He was optimistic and confident going in, and he felt strong going up. But after the final 1,189 meter row, the mood shifted similarly to how it did on Mailbox. “I’m not quite sure what it was. Maybe a combination of fatigue, sleep deprivation, the hardness of it… I sat down and took a break and felt a wave of despair. Celine [Suzzarini, SRA Evening Masters Rower] asked if I was okay, and I just cried,” he said frankly.

“I never went to ‘I want to give up,’ or ‘I quit,’” DeWinter reflected. “The thought never crossed my mind. I think because I have a track record of getting through tough situations, my mind goes immediately to ‘How can I get past this?’ vs. ‘I can’t do this.’ In a lot of physical challenges in the past, if I couldn’t get past something, no one else was going to help me, so I didn’t have a choice. One example—I still remember having to figure out how to sleep in a park without a sleeping bag when it was 40 degrees outside. It was a miserable night, but I got through it. Knowing that I’ve done tough things gives me the confidence to know that I can get through more tough things.
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DeWinter being comforted by Celine Suzzarini as he encounters overwhelming emotions
“5 minutes after Celine and I sat together, I was in good spirits to continue. My body clearly needed some way to deal with the stress, and in that situation, crying was the path of least resistance. Having a supportive crew to feel comfortable enough to do that in front of was also important.”

Despite the struggle and moments of darkness on his adventure, DeWinter ultimately succeeded and finished his Triple Crown Challenge in under 24 hours. The final time was 21 hours, 25 minutes, and 19 seconds.
When asked how he felt once he had finally finished, he said, “It’s interesting that there wasn’t the grand sense of relief that you might expect. Towards the end of Si, maybe the last 1,000 meters, it wasn’t a sprint to the finish line. At that point I knew I could finish in the time limit, and the pressure dissolved. I just wanted to get the erg to the car. After some moments of reflection, it was really satisfying to feel this sense of connection that we [the SRA community] could make together in such a short amount of time: Alex and I doing this crazy adventure, volunteers going with us who didn't know each other before this... We had created this crew that was kind of like the Lord of the Rings. Then there was everyone watching, donating, following along, and it just felt so powerful. My little idea created such a broad impact, and it felt quite special.”

While DeWinter and Sitzman were just individuals taking on an extraordinary challenge, they had the support of the SRA community behind them and physically with them on their journey. “I think that a characteristic of a really powerful community is the ability for the people inside of it to do extraordinary things, and the community rises to support them,” DeWinter said. “Sammamish is one of those communities.”
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Congratulations Dave on one of the most incredible athletic feats you've ever accomplished! Dave and Alex ended up raising just over $11,000 for the Sammamish Rowing Scholarship Fund, which is more than double their goal! Continue to read “Rower Stories” from the SRA website to discover more amazing individuals of our rowing community.

Alex Sitzman: Epic Mountain Rowing

10/30/2019

 
Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) boasts a junior rowing program of over 200 high school athletes this year. Our mission to provide world class rowing opportunities to all regardless of financial ability has been supported by our incredible community over the years. In 2018 alone we provided around $25,000 in scholarships to ensure all feel welcome in our boathouse. SRA owes so much to the incredible individuals who have raised and donated the funds that have made this mission a reality year after year.
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One of those individuals is a recent alumni of our high school junior rowing program. Alex Sitzman, SRA class of 2019, spent considerable time at the boathouse this past summer volunteering with the summer middle school rowing program. He was also keeping up with his training by partaking in a summer rowing program when he noticed David (Dave) DeWinter fiddling around with an erg and a backpack.
​

DeWinter was trying to figure out how to somewhat comfortably carry an erg for a challenge inspired by Matthew Disney- an ex-royal marine in the UK who hiked up three of the UK’s highest peaks to raise money for a cause important to him. DeWinter was applying the same idea to the local North Bend Triple Crown Challenge. DeWinter’s plan was to carry an erg up Mount Teneriffe, Mailbox Peak, and Mount Si in 24 hours while also erging the height of each mountain at the top to raise money for the scholarship fund in tandem with SRA’s Ergathon.
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Sitzman thought what DeWinter was doing was admirable and an incredible challenge. He asked if he could join in- and suddenly he was committed to what DeWinter called Epic Mountain Rowing. 

“I did a lot less preparation than Dave did,” Sitzman admitted when asked about his training plan. “I did each of the hikes on their own without the erg. For the most part I was just training my general fitness with the rowing team.” School had started for the college freshman and he was a member of the Oregon State Crew Team. The hardest climb Sitzman did before their crazy adventure was Mailbox Peak which was a week after he had gotten his wisdom teeth out. 
“Sammamish has been one of the biggest parts of my life for a long time,” Sitzman said while reflecting on why he wanted to join DeWinter in climbing three peaks with an erg on his back. “I’m going on almost seven years since I started rec (the middle school program at the time) there. It’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t part of SRA. The structure and team helped me develop as a person. I became so much more fit, and structured, and overall SRA improved every aspect of my life.”  In addition to the personal gains Sitzman enjoyed, he saw first hand the impact of the scholarship fund on his friends’ lives and the opportunity it gave them to row. “ It was a personal objective for me to raise money for that (the scholarship fund) specifically. I’ve seen it’s impact first hand,” he said.
The few months leading up to October 12th at 1:00pm, the official start time of the Epic Mountain Rowing challenge, Alex had nothing but support from friends and family. Even though a few considered him a bit crazy they still gave him their full support.

Eventually October 12th did come and Alex flew from Oregon to Seattle after his Friday 6K test at practice. He prepared by eating a large bowl of pasta for breakfast and set out to tackle Mount Teneriffe first. Sitzman reported that Mount Teneriffe was nerve racking, but also helped him set a good pace. “I was feeling great all up Teneriffe. I started going up and knew I could keep a pretty fast pace,” he said.

It was Mailbox Peak, the second mountain, where he began to feel the fatigue set in. “Mailbox I had done before, and I remembered how unbelievably long it feels to do,” Sitzman mentioned. The boulder field near the top was incredibly hard for him to navigate, and he found that going up and down that section took a huge toll on his knees. His rests were more frequent, and he admitted that as he came down Mailbox Peak he realized he wasn’t getting in enough fuel. Eventually he made it down Mailbox and headed to his last mountain- Mount Si. He took a long break to give his knees a rest before starting his final ascent. 
​

Going up Mount Si was slow. Sitzman was not on pace. By the time he reached the last tenth of the mountain, he had gotten to the point where his legs hurt, but that wasn’t what was slowing him down. He said he couldn’t get enough energy to pick up a leg up and move it forward. Somehow he persevered. 
“There was no point where I was going to give up. I was just like, ‘I’m really tired’. I felt like I had been doing this forever. It felt like I didn’t know what life was like off the mountain. All of my mind was this mountain,” Sitzman said about his mental state. “It was starting to get real hard to stay positive. All I could feel was how tired I was. And how hungry I was. I knew I was going to finish this, but slow.”
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One thing that kept Sitzman moving was a message left on the Epic Mountain Rowing Instagram page by his friend Landon Fick. Fick, also on the Oregon State Crew Team, told Sitzman their rowing coach was watching Sitzman’s effort via social media and his GPS tracker. That truly shows the mental power a crew coach has over his or her rowers!

A little over 24 hours since the start of his journey Sitzman finished. There was no grand celebration or triumphant post-hike speech. Sitzman took off his pack with the erg, got in his moms car, and instantly fell asleep from his sheer exhaustion. That night he flew back to school, woke up for his 6:30am practice, and completed his Monday morning erg workout with the rest of his teammates like normal.
​

“It felt like a weird dream,” Sitzman said. A few teammates knew what he had done, and his coach was quite proud of his effort. His muscles were so sore at this point that a typical ten minute walk to class took him thirty minutes. All in all he recovered, and can now say he has completed the Triple Crown with an erg on his back in just over 24 hours. Together, he and DeWinter raised over $10,000 for the scholarship fund.
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Individuals from SRA like Alex Sitzman are what keep this rowing community strong and thriving. Sitzman is the perfect example of someone who understands what it is to pay it forward and give back to the boathouse that gave him so much as he mentioned earlier on. Alex- the Sammamish Rowing family is so incredibly proud of you, and this story will be remembered for a long, long time. Thank you from all of us at SRA!

SRA Stories: Sue McKain

9/3/2019

 
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?”
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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. 
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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.
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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.”
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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.” ​
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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!

A Message from Steven Freygang

8/29/2019

 
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SRA Community,

Earlier this week I notified the board of directors that I will be resigning from my position as executive director to accept an opportunity with the Woodland Park Zoo as their capital campaign senior manager. The decision to leave SRA was immensely difficult for me and my family. We love SRA and the opportunities this community has afforded us personally and professionally. However, with the arrival of our daughter this past spring Whitney and I have come to realize that the work-life balance and long-term career growth at the zoo will be a better fit for us in the years ahead.  

We have an incredibly competent staff and strong leadership in our board. I have offered to remain available on a volunteer basis to assist with critical tasks while the board searches for an executive director, and I am confident that our rowers will not be adversely impacted by the leadership transition. 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you over the past six years. I am VERY proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am excited to see SRA continue to grow and prosper under new leadership. 

Steven Freygang

From SRA Board President Dee Walker

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to congratulate Steven on pursuing his next step in his career, and thank him for his leadership of SRA at a critical time. While we are sorry to see him go, we respect his decision and wish him and his young family well. During Steven’s tenure, SRA has blossomed into a nationally recognized rowing community, known for its excellence on the water at all levels and ages. A long-term strategic plan, highly talented coaches and staff, a new fleet, record enrollment, and fiscal health are among the many legacies Steven leaves behind. We will miss him. 

The board has appreciated the transparent and productive engagement with Steven, particularly during inevitable moments that challenge the community, including the upcoming search for his replacement. In partnership with the board, we have already set in motion ways to ease the transition and help reduce any ambiguity for staff, parents, or rowers. I would like to share with you the following steps we are taking:

First, we are grateful that Anne Corley has agreed to serve as Interim Executive Director. Anne has a long history and deep knowledge of SRA having served on the staff for the past three years, and before that on the SRA board of directors, including a term as president. Together with the help of the professional staff, Anne will keep this complex and growing organization running smoothly. 
 
Second, Leslie Moser will lead a search committee that consists of several board members and staff. We anticipate a great deal of competition for this role from national clubs and organizations, as well as local ones. As immediate past president of SRA Leslie knows well the values and competencies we are looking for, and will work with others to bring several finalists to the full board for final consideration. The search committee and board will work transparently, expeditiously, but thoughtfully to land a new leader worthy of this great, growing community. Please send any suggestions for candidates directly to Leslie by October 1. You can contact Leslie at [email protected]

Finally, I want to thank the professional staff and coaches for their continued focus and commitment to make SRA a great experience for hundreds of rowers. We want to make sure you are fully supported during this transition so you can do what you do best: go fast and win! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly or any other member of the board if you have questions or concerns.  
 
Please join me in wishing Steven well, and thanking him for his stewardship of this great community. Thanks to him, and all of you, our best days are ahead of us. 

Dee Walker

SRA Stories: Kat Buckley

8/16/2019

 
Katherine Buckley was a cross-country athlete for three years. Before she began running, she was heavily involved in theater, choir, and voice until PE requirements at her school mandated that she join a sports team for a few seasons. Kat admitted that before she became a runner, she was not the biggest fan of sports and athletic activity. That attitude started to change after a few seasons of cross country and track, but she didn’t find the sport she was truly passionate for until she began rowing at Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA).
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Kat Buckley in bow seat
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Hiking Mount Dickerman
Kat’s brother joined SRA as a novice the Fall after he took place in the old Rec Rowing Program SRA offered. Through her brother’s participation, Kat heard that novice practices included plenty of running, so she decided to try it out as well. She joined the novice girls’ team in January 2015. According to her, her first day, “was very nerve wracking,” she said. “I met all these new people and felt so out of place.” However, she confessed that she soon bonded with those on her team and begun to truly enjoy what the team did during practices.
Being able to learn from and overcome failures was pivotal to Kat’s progress. By January, when she joined the team, the other girls had learned the stroke and language of the sport. For example, on her first day on the water, she had no idea what feathering the oar meant. Throughout her novice spring, Kat figured out the language and raced at Brentwood, where she transferred and finished her high school rowing career. Although Kat finished her junior career elsewhere, she considers SRA her big rowing family. She said, “Rowing really changed the entire course of my life because it led me to do an extra year of high school, go to a boarding school, and eventually get recruited to college to row. The SRA boathouse has been one of my main communities back home. It’s really fun to have a place to go back to to work out and share this sport with others. It’s especially exciting to introduce the basics of this amazing sport to middle schoolers and adults.” Kat said. 

Currently, Kat coaches Learn to Row and Middle School summer programs. Her high energy and infectious smile can be seen around the boathouse all day, and instantly rub off on those who she coaches. The middle school participants love when she sprays them with the hose when the hot sun has been bearing down on them all practice long, and the adults enjoy her unwavering energy as she teaches the basics of the rowing stroke.

One of her favorite Sammamish memories was as a coach. This year a particularly windy day forced all the teams to stay on land. “All the Learn to Row classes combined and did a bunch of erg sessions and it was really cool to see all these people come together to do something that they didn’t know how to do before,” Kat said. “We did drills and a 2K test and the energy in the room was so exciting.”
When the summer ends, Kat will study abroad at the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden. She rows on Hamilton College’s varsity women’s team, and will graduate with an Economics major and Public Policy minor in the spring of 2021. On campus, she is also an outdoor adventure and freshman orientation trip leader. While she doesn’t have a specific post-graduate plan, she knows she wants to feel challenged in her career and leave a positive impact on her local and global community. She sees herself working for a few years before possibly pursuing graduate school. 
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Kat Buckley and her father at NCAA's
When Kat began rowing in college, she noticed one big difference between her high school rowing experience and her collegiate one. At Sammamish Rowing Association, the temperate climate allows our teams to spend almost all year out on the water. Hamilton College’s location in Central New York means that all of the water is frozen throughout the winter, so they train indoors from Halloween to late March. Kat added, “It was a huge shock to spend so much time erging the entire winter at Hamilton. At Brentwood we barely erged. We only did a few erg tests. However, Sammamish land day experiences like Brentwood in a day and 5x5’ helped me deal with erg anxiety coming into Hamilton’s winter season.”
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The Buckley family at 2018 Youth Nationals
As Kat said before, rowing really changed her life as it often does to many others. She hopes that people develop the same passion for the sport that she has. Her advice to novices was, “Don’t get overwhelmed by all the new language. It’s a lot of stuff you’ve never heard of before. Don’t get freaked out if you don’t know the terms- just ask. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!”
Next time you’re at the boathouse, be sure to find Kat and ask about her upcoming trip to Sweden, her family’s new kitten, or her favorite sport (rowing obviously!). We have a huge sumer staff and each and every full time and seasonal coach has worked so hard to make sure this summer has been an amazing time to row for new and familiar faces around the boathouse. Kat has done an incredible job instilling a passion for rowing in our middle school and Learn to Row participants. Thank you Kat and all of our other summer coaches.

SRA Stories: Kira Lewis

8/13/2019

 
Kira Lewis was in 7th grade when her brothers,  Brennan and Nathan, joined the crew team at Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA). She joined SRA a year after her brothers began rowing and decided to be a coxswain on the men’s team. “I guess I grew up chasing them in a lot of ways, and for the most part they were very supportive,” Lewis said about her brothers. “They could be pretty ruthless though when I couldn’t keep up. I think pretty much every time one of them picked up a new sport, I was there to chase them. The three of us skied, raced our bikes, played soccer, ran track, and of course rowed at Sammamish. I started coxing on the men’s team the year after they joined.”
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Kira Lewis in her SRA unisuit
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Lewis being tossed in the water after a successful race
Lewis stayed with SRA for five years as a men’s team coxswain and has been coxing at the University of Washington on the men’s team for two years now after being recruited. While she is enjoying her time at the University of Washington, both coxing and pursuing a double major in psychology and communication, she did say that Sammamish was a second home to her during her time here. “Coxing there for five years means I went through a full turn over of athletes through the program and watched the majority of the staff turnover as well,” she said. 
“A lot of things changed while I was there,” she added. “Definitely some material things like a brand new boathouse, the constant excitement over new boats and oars, and even smaller things like speed coaches, all made possible by the donations of alumni and supporters. I definitely changed a lot as a person while I was at Sammamish too though. You learn some pretty tough lessons through any sport. Stuff like when to keep your head down and do what your coach tells you to do and when to speak up and say what’s on your mind. Lessons like that can be so hard to figure out as is. It can be pretty intense to try to make those decisions. Learning those kinds of lessons gave me so much confidence in myself, and as hard as it was to deal with the fallout of my bad decisions sometimes, I wouldn’t trade it for the person I became and the lessons I learned through the sport.”
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Lewis with her Washington boys- some of which are also SRA alumni
When it came to her favorite memory at Sammamish, Lewis struggled to pick just one. She did mention the boys she got to work with her Sophomore year of high school however. “I coxed this great race at the Tail of The Lake Regatta,” she said. “I started picking up some momentum on the team as I was improving. Next thing you know it’s spring and I’m in the lightweight 8. That group of guys was unprecedentedly fun to work with.” Kira believed their success came from their ability to learn and grow together. She added, “I think it was a really young group and all of us were a little unsure of how to make a boat actually go fast. So we kept joking about going fast which morphed into a super positive attitude. Without big egos getting in the way we could make a lot of the changes Dennis asked us to make and we kinda figured out how to make our boat move." ​
During high school, Lewis also maintained competitiveness on the slopes. She ski raced throughout her high school career only missing a few rowing practices in winter to travel and compete with her ski team. The summer before she started college she picked cycling back up. On just about every Friday night during the summer she would race fixed gear bikes down at the Marymoor Velodrome. “Velo racing is a little like nascar on bikes with no breaks,” she said. “You’re all in a big oval and there’s lots of different types of races, usually you’ll do three events per night and overall awards will go out based on your combined results in the three races.”
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A shot of Lewis ski racing
This summer Lewis was actually able to race in a Grand Prix that the Marymoor Velodrome hosted. She was able to race alongside incredible athletes in the elite women’s pack. “It was the biggest pack of riders I’ve ever raced with which was a little intimidating, not to mention there were world champions from places like Australia, Canada, and the U.S. Those girls are so fast and so strong it was an amazing experience to share my home track with them.”
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Lewis in the Velodrome competing
Lewis is able to keep a great balance in her life even when participating in a sport that demands so much of your time in emotional and physical ways. While she is taking a break from rowing this summer, she plans to return to the UW team in the fall. She said, “I’ve always liked my summers off to keep a healthy mental balance and to pursue other activities like bike racing and this summer trying to ski a water ski course.”
Rowing is known to be a demanding sport. Often times those who pursue it at the collegiate level have little time for much else besides rowing and school work. Lewis certainly has felt that pressure, but has found ways to bring balance back to her life through thoughtful time budgeting during her breaks. She also is strong in maintaining an open mind. Lewis said, “Right now I don’t really know what the future holds for me in rowing. I’m planning on starting up again in fall at UW, but I’m going in with a pretty open mind. That’s the mindset I brought in last fall and I had an awesome year so I think that’s what’s going to work best for me. Whatever I wind up doing I know I’m going to have a good time doing it!”
Kira Lewis made an unforgettable impression on the SRA team during her time here and is continuing to do so on her collegiate team and throughout her other involvements. We are happy to follow her journey outside the Hod Fowler Boathouse and can’t wait to see what she does or tries next. She is not shy when it comes to trying new things. To finish, Lewis told us about the time she tried eating a spider for the first time. Lewis mentioned, “once a girl on the women’s team at Sammamish paid me $50.43 to eat a spider. It’s now become a somewhat regular thing at my house to use in a bet or a game. I’ve made close to $100 just by eating spiders.”
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Lewis coxing the University of Washington men's crew
Keep trying new things, Kira! Be sure to keep the SRA community updated on all that you achieve from spider eating, rowing, and beyond!

Team Highlight: Evening Competitive Masters

8/7/2019

 
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Some members of the ECM team with Lia Roberds and Lee Henderson (both center)
PicturePhoto taken by Lia Roberds- the ECM men's boat at the Opening Day/ Windermere Cup Regatta
Paul Colvin is married with two daughters. One of his daughters began rowing during her freshman year of highschool. By her junior year Paul took up the sport as well. “I had an erg since early 90’s, and it sat unused for about a decade. Though I had used it a bit and knew it was a great workout,” Colvin said about his rowing beginnings. Once he was part of the team he was hooked. 

Andy Roberts, like Colvin, had never rowed in his life before starting the sport as an adult. Roberts had joined Sammamish Rowing Association’s (SRA) Learn to Row (LTR) program in 2012 and had a huge group of great people in his LTR class. “I needed to do something competitive. I played soccer before, but my teammates kept getting injured,” he said. Like Colvin, Roberts had caught the rowing bug and stayed with SRA year after year, unlike many of his fellow LTR teammates who seemed to fizzle away.

Paul Meyer rowed a bit during his school years in the Netherlands, but wasn’t particularly looking to get back into rowing until his wife took it up. When they moved to the United States, his wife picked up rowing at SRA to stay fit. At the end of her Learn to Row experience, she introduced Paul to Jenny Proby and he eventually joined the ECM team. Meyer said, “it took a couple of years to get all the fitness back, but I'm happy I did it.”

Then there was Mike Fitzner who moved to Washington in 2004 from California. At that time, SRA offered winter conditioning classes that appealed to Fitzner. The crazy good workouts were matched with terrific coaching as Fitzner learned proper erg form during his initial time at SRA. However, other sports drew Fitzner away from the old boathouse for a few years before his return. “I introduced a colleague at work, Leslie Moser, to erging. She ended up doing LTR, and told me it was the best thing ever. She eventually wore me down to try actual rowing so I gave in,” Fitnzer said. He loved it and has put his entire focus on rowing ever since. He too commented on the fact that his LTR class seemed to dwindle out despite the strong sense of community and fun.

Just a few years back the men on the Evening Competitive Masters (ECM) were few and far between. Fitzner, Colvin, and Roberts are some of the men who have stuck around the longest to see the team really grow. Fitzner said, “Over the years we tend to lose people, the ones who stay are the ones who would do it for life.” All of the men agreed that while many LTR participants love rowing not all of them are ready for the commitment that comes with rowing.

Roberts commented, ““At our age and the time we row, life can get in the way. Rowing at 6:30pm at night is hard for some people.” Time, family, work, and other commitments can make it hard for people to consistently make it to the boathouse. 

Fitzner added, “If you want to row competitively you cannot half-ass practice and the time commitment. You won't advance in your rowing technique and make better boats. That is going to weed out and frustrate people.” 

It’s true that it takes a certain type of person to stay committed to the sport. All the men agreed that they don’t just row- rowing is a part of them. Fitzner said, “My friends have no idea how difficult this is,” to which Roberts added, “but they all know you row.” Despite the dedication it takes to be successful in rowing, these men along with all of our other members, see their dedication as totally worth their time.

Slowly but surely the ECM team has seen growth in the amount of men on the team, as well as its competitiveness. Fitzner, Colvin, and Roberts have simply attributed that growth and development to the strong community and time. Colvin said, “I can’t say I’ve actively recruited anyone- it’s a hard sport to recruit for. If people show up you hope they are having a good time and have that desire to work hard and stick with it.”

Meyer said that Colvin and Roberts were incredibly encouraging during his entire time on the ECM team. He said, “To me, Paul and Andy have been a constant in the time I was with ECM. A couple of years ago, ECM sent a Men’s 4+ to the Head of the Charles Regatta. That was not a completely ideal journey (we had to replace one of the rowers at the last minute), but it set the stage for what is possible. This ignited the initial ambition and it has only grown since.”

Roberts added that they lead by example. “We are working our asses off and have fun while doing it, and people see that. Having people come in seeing we are succeeding now and seeing we started out where they started out is a big factor in having people stay.” All of these men came to join ECM through the LTR program. It took time for them to be at the level they are now. They remember how hard it was in the beginning and that memory reminds them to encourage new members as they embark on their own rowing journeys. The men agreed that when they see someone with athletic potential come up through LTR they encourage the individual to stay.

Coach Lee Henerson of the ECM team talked about the team growth as well. “It has been exciting and rewarding to watch the team over the years. The thing that I preach is to own your experience and there’s a core group of guys that have bought into that. Paul [Colvin], Andy, Paul [Meyer], and Mike have definitely bought into that among others. These rowers have been through the ups and downs and thick and thin. We’ve been able to build up through the LTR ranks and that core group has gotten stronger.”

Henderson added, “The group has continued to grow and buy into the ‘own your experience’ philosophy. They run workouts together and make it fun. A cadre of guys have been coming together all of July. The improvements we’ve seen are a result of that philosophy.” Henderson also attributed team growth to the intentional targeting of better racing opportunities. ECM has begun adding bigger and bigger events to their racing schedule such as the Head of the Charles Regatta. The increase in exciting racing opportunities has correlated to increases elsewhere in the team.

Those increases were in numbers and competitiveness. Fitzner said about their progress as a team, “we have rowed splits this year we never thought possible. In contrast to other crews or other crews from other clubs, we don’t have anyone who rowed collegiately in our men’s eight. We all started novice year here at SRA.” All of them agreed that their favorite SRA memory was this year’s Opening Day. Fitzner said, “our rowing then was so good it felt like the season was over for me, as I didn’t think this experience could be topped. We came in second place even though we went in with no expectations. It was an awesome race out of the gate. The whole 2K with the boats and yachts on starboard side, with the noise, and the way the boat felt- it was perfect. Stars aligned.”

Their progress over the years has been due to many factors; hard work, dedication, patience, and an incredible support group. They’ve talked about the tremendous impact that excellent coxswains like Amy Shotwell and Lia Roberds have had on their progress. Fitzner, Colvin, and Roberts all agreed that Roberds’ coxing skills and dedication to them has made all the difference in many of their practice and races. They trust her to help them get the best practice in possible or race their best race, and say she provides a unique benefit in that she acts as both a skillful coach and coxswain when in the boat. Coach Henderson mentioned that Shotwell has been instrumental to the team for years and having Lia around to coach and cox is an incredible benefit for the team. 

With their recent success and incredible progress the men now feel like they belong. By that they mean they feel that they are finally good enough to be worthy competitors with fellow SRA teams, local crews, and even national competition. Henderson said, “I believe having multiple strong competitive teams within SRA just makes for an overall healthier program. It gives options to athletes that I find exciting.”

However, rowing prowess isn’t the only strong part of the team. Their bond as a group has grown too. Roberts said, “One of the best things about ECM are the things we do outside of the boathouse. We do a rowing camp at Lake Samish. It’s such a great way to start the new year. We get such great bonding, rowing, and the very spartan cabin accommodations add to the overall experience. It makes ECM a unique place!” 

Colvin added, “We have fun together. The first and third Thursdays of the month we drink beer as a team and hang out.” Meyer also loves the third Thursday beers as well as the team's Christmas party.

Strong bonds, incredible work ethic, and years of patience and determination have paid off for the members of the ECM team at SRA. Fitzner finished with, “It’s a great time to be in ECM right now. We have a great group of guys,” which Colvin agreed with. 

“And a great coaching staff,” Roberts added quickly, “Lee, Dennis, Lia, Matt- all of them.” 

​

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​Sammamish Rowing Association
​5022 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE
​Redmond, WA 98052
[email protected]
​425-653-2583
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Sammamish Rowing Association
P.O. Box 3309
Redmond, WA 98073
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