SRA Stories: Anne Creighton

Growing up in Denver, Colorado, Ann Creighton stayed active by filling her free time with cycling, running, and skiing. After graduating from high school she headed out east to spend her undergraduate time at Yale University. Creighton majored in Geology and pursued the same subject in graduate school. However, due to a downturn in the oil industry, geology careers eluded her and she went into insurance.

Ann (left), and her twin sister (right)

Years later Creighton would move to Washington and have a family. In 2013 her daughter, Frances, joined Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) and piqued Creighton’s interest in the sport. She said, “my daughter had started as a novice so I did Learn To Row (LTR). I’ve always done sports, but at 5’2” I had never thought of my height as a competitive disadvantage.  Luckily my fellow rowers have welcomed me ,and I’ve found my vertical disadvantage can be overcome with hard work and and a good sense of humor.” As someone who loves the outdoors, she also enjoys how immersed in nature the sport is. “On a cold and wet day, when you come off the water soaking wet, we have our beautiful and warm boathouse to come back to”
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For three years Creighton was on the mid-morning team, but switched to sculling because it seemed like the right fit for her light weight. SRA has four masters teams so adult members are able to row on the team that best fits their schedule. The teams are known as 5AM, Mid-Morning, Evening Competitive Masters (ECM), and Sculling.

Ann Creighton (left) carries oars at a regatta

Creighton enjoyed rowing in the mid-morning 8+ that went to the Head of the Charles in 2017, where her boat placed 6th. Creighton recalled being so proud because all the women in her boat had no collegiate rowing experience whereas their competition did. She attributed their success to the great coaching from Molly Lawrence and Kelley Pope. When talking about SRA coaches Creighton said, “Our coaching here speaks for itself. Our coaches figure out how to get us to row as a team as well as capitalize on our individual strengths.”

“Rowing anchors my life now,” Creighton commented. Her daughter is off to college at Washington State, but Creighton and her husband Mark  share responsibility for managing care for their son with a profound disability. “It’s a tough aspect of my life and it is really nice for me to have something I can count on. At SRA I am with people who make me laugh and bring me joy, which makes it easier to cope with these things.” SRA provides around 2 hours of practice time for our adults. During that time all concerns outside of the boathouse are forgotten and your focus is completely in the boat or on the erg.
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Another draw to rowing is the longevity of involvement in the sport. At SRA we have rowers ranging in ages twelve to eighty! Since it is a low impact sport, many people find it to be a great alternative to the sports they used to enjoy but can no longer do for fear of injury. “It’s been really fun to see the people who are ahead of us to keep us going,” Creighton said. She looks up to older rowers and is excited to continue pursuing the sport she loves.

Creighton hopes to keep making memories in her rowing endeavors, even if they come with some unfortunate surprises. “Something was definitely not right” Ann says of her practice row the day before she was set to compete in the 2018  Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR). She had spent weeks and weeks preparing for her race in a single. She’d studied the course, looked at maps, and tried to memorize angels to prepare for the famously winding and difficult race. “Knowing how critical it is to be a safe competitor at this of all events, and despite all my preparation, I pulled my entry and didn’t race”.  As it it ends up, her teammate Tamara was helping her to the hospital before the weekend was out, where Ann was diagnosed with an intestinal obstruction.

Sue Amorosi, Ann Creighton, and David DeWinter (sculling coach)

Ann in bow, and Sue in stroke seat, racing together in a double (2X)

The good memories have outweighed the bad though. Sometimes a pleasant row on the flat water with her friend, Sue Amorosi, is all it takes for Creighton to feel full of happiness. She recalls one favorite rowing memory of her and Sue competing at the Cascadia Masters Championships in Canada. They won the lightweight double E event (ages 60-65), and joked that they were now international champions. The memory still makes her chuckle. ​

With her years of experience, Creighton had some final advice for new rowers. “Show up,” she said. “When you’re starting something new it can be hard to feel competent,  but if you commit to showing up and participating with the team, it makes a big difference. Recognize that there could be people there that might be more serious than you are or better, but make it your own journey.” She also hopes that new members can appreciate how lucky we are with our Hod Fowler Boathouse, completed in 2016. Years of dedicated fundraising from rowers and their families have made it a reality for all new rowers to SRA to enjoy.
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SRA is lucky to have members like Ann Creighton who light up our boathouse and add positive energy to their boats. Ann takes times to appreciate all aspects of our sport from the intricacies of technique to the simple wildlife viewings during practice. She can turn an unfortunate moment into a positive new outlook, and she enjoys the laughter she shares with teammates and friends. Thank you Ann for being a ray of sunshine at SRA even when skies are grey.