SRA Stories: Anne Wangeman

Anne rowing a single around her 80th birthday

Anne Wangeman was raised on the water with the hum of boats and the spray of water skiers a constant presence in her life. Being raised on Mercer Island, she always loved to be on the water, and seeing the University of Washington crews out on Lake Washington was a special occasion. She remembered fondly a time when the UW crew passed right by their home— an incredibly special sight so far from their boathouse. 

For a short time her family lived in Madison, Wisconsin and she distinctly remembered her mother talking about the Wisconsin crew practicing on Lake Mendota. A spark of interest began to grow. Later on, an article in the Seattle Times about the growth of the women's masters rowing movement added intrigue. Additionally, a good friend rowed for Seattle Yacht Club and mentioned it was the hardest thing she had ever done. Anne was interested, but the early practice times certainly were not her cup of tea. She eventually heard about a rowing club on the east side called Sammamish Rowing Association that was hosting an open house so she decided to drop by. That was the beginning of her passion for rowing!

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Anne started her rowing journey in 2003 right before her 60th birthday and has now been rowing for over 20 years. When she visited the open house at SRA’s old boathouse, she wasn’t yet convinced rowing was for her. “I wasn’t sure I could do it starting at my age and with little consistent exercise during all my working years, but Gretchen Frederick, the Director at that time, told me I could, so I believed her,” Anne said. She found a good fit with the Evening Masters team and fell in love after just a few sessions. She had great coaches and a great group of rowers— all who were trying to perfect their stroke and timing together.

“Rowing at night during the winter months when the water was calm and the lights and stars were out was perfection,” Anne said. Anne retired after a 40+ year career with Boeing and continued to row in the evening. Once some of the other rowers retired, they decided to row independently in the morning. She looks forward to seeing those friends weekly.

When asked what made her stay with the sport, Anne had plenty to say. “Being on the water is peaceful, beautiful and calming (unless it is gale-force winds). Rowing is rhythmic and I like repetition. I count almost every stroke- it’s a great meditation. One of the articles I read 20 years ago quoted a woman rower who said that even after several years rowing a single, she was still trying to string 3 perfect strokes together. I remember that every row and it’s my challenge too. Sometimes I get several more, sometimes not,” she said. 

Anne also loves the local wildlife. Lake Sammamish is home to herons, bald eagles, osprey, kingfishers, red-wing blackbirds, beavers, otters, and other waterfowl. We have even had deer, bobcats, coyotes, and the rare black bear around the boathouse! As the seasons pass by, she likes to watch the transformation around the lake through the change in color from spring to summer to fall and winter.

Betsey and Anne in a double

Her community is strong here too. She credits the friends she has made rowing as being encouraging, supportive, kind, loving, and lifelong. What is extra special is that her sister, Betsey, rows at SRA too. Betsey joined SRA in 2005 following a similar path as her sister in her rowing journey. 

The sisters find support in each other through their rowing and feel grateful to share this experience with one another. When Anne reflected on her favorite SRA rowing memories, she said, “the best thing is being able to share an activity with my sister, one that we both love. And seeing the same and new friends every week doing something we all love.” In the winter you can find the sisters rowing a double together, and in the summer they enjoy each other’s company in singles. Anne said some of her greatest rowing accomplishments is that she still sticks to it three times a week and her sister still talks to her!

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Love of the sport, her close friends, and being a part of an organization that helps shape youth into responsible, caring, considerate, hard working individuals and leaders keeps Anne returning to the Hod Fowler Boathouse week after week. She has found a special home here at a boathouse nestled in the wetlands on the north end of Lake Sammamish. In this boathouse, along this slough, and on the lake she has formed lifelong bonds and discovered her personal potential. She has learned the values of patience, repetition, friendships, and discipline. 

When she isn’t rowing, you can find her knitting, learning to play the ukulele, engaging in her book club, volunteering for the non-profit Community Loaves by baking bread and breakfast cookies, and spending plenty of time outdoors and with loved ones. At just over 80 years old, Anne has no plans of slowing down. “I plan to row until I can’t,” she stated.

Anne and Betsey have been a consistent and wonderful presence at the boathouse for many years. They were active volunteers with the annual gala for years and were familiar faces at the check-in table. Coach Simon Williams has coached them in private lessons and enjoys their commitment to the sport. Rowers like Anne and Betsey are what make our community truly so special. Their passion for rowing, their appreciation of our natural environment, and their cultivation of friendships reminds us that this sport is much more than a single workout or race. Rowing is so much more than that.

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