Audio Postcard: Bill Babonas | Seattle, WA

Bill Babonas, a member of Mt. Baker Rowing Center and College Club in Seattle, WA talks about the exciting and daunting process of learning to scull.

Episode 9: Path to the Olympics - Aquil Abdullah and John Olbrys

Aquil Abdullah became the first Black man to represent the United States at an Olympic rowing event when he qualified in the M2x in 2004. We paired him with Olympic hopeful John Olbrys who has his sights on the 2021 Olympic trials. Both have deep roots in the Washington, D.C. region. 

Aquil’s path to the Olympics started at Woodrow Wilson high school and an offer of a rowing scholarship (and his mother’s influence) brought him to George Washington University. He now lives with his family in Boston, and is working to make the sport more inclusive through several initiatives. In 2019, Aquil joined Hydrow as a featured athlete.

Olympic hopeful John Olbrys learned to row in high school, and found fit rowing into his crammed schedule at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He is currently serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and training for the Tokyo Olympic trials. He is an out and proud LGBT rower at Potomac Boat Club. 

Audio Postcard - Holly Brymar, Atlanta Rowing Club

Atlanta Rowing Club's Holly Brymar – like so many rowers in 2020 – made the move from big boats to a single. Mostly self-taught, she sent us an audio postcard reflecting on her fear, and pride, when it comes to sculling.

Episode 8: Lisa & Matt Weise, Rower’s Dream

Lisa and Matt Weise are a ridiculously charming couple that met while rowing at Michigan State University. Today, Lisa has more than 30 years of competitive rowing experience, including victories at Head of the Charles, Canadian Henley, and USRowing Masters Nationals. And she balances her time on the water with a career as a high school science teacher. Matt has been coaching for more than 35 years and is currently the head coach for women’s rowing at Humboldt State University. As a coach, he’s led crews to 14 NCAA championship appearances, three Big Ten Championships, and helped develop eight national team rowers.

Recently, the Weises established Rower’s Dream camps and coaching, based on the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula, in Michigan. Because COVID-19 has kept them from offering in-person camps, they’ve pivoted to offering online Zoom workouts and downloadable training plans for novice, intermediate, and advanced rowers.

Bonus: Ep. 7 Best Part of Your Rowing Week

Best Part of Your Rowing Week calls from:

• Todd Vogt: Paralympic Hopeful, Portland Boat Club, Portland, OR

• Tiffany Hogan: Narragansett Boat Club, Providence, RI

• Mary O'Callaghan: www.oldfartrowing.com, Lake MacDonald Rowing Club, Queensland, AUS

• Kym Reynolds: Recovery On Water, Chicago, IL

• Sue Koscielski: Sweeps & Sculls Rowing, Wauconda, IL

• Ashley Pryor: Relentless Rowing Academy, Columbus, OH

• Natalie Lecher: Green Lake Crew, Seattle, WA

• Ben Hawkes: Minerva Bath Rowing Club, UK. Watch him in "Erg Life" video on YouTube

• Lindsay Dare Shoop: Olympian and author of Better Great Than Never

Episode 7: Halifax Rowing Club

We head North of the border to check in with Halifax Rowing Club in Nova Scotia. Despite a global pandemic that wreaked havoc on rowing programs everywhere, the Halifax team spirit remained intact, rowing continued, training pivoted, and they ended the season with a virtual awards ceremony. We're enamored with the club's resilience, motivation, and dedication.

Bonus: Ep. 6 Best Part of Your Rowing Week

Best Part of Your Rowing Week calls from:

• Kevin Fuji: rower/coach, Pocock Rowing Center and Pulitzer Prize winning photographer

• Lesley Wright: coxswain/coach, Chinook Performance Racing

• Linda Muri: rower/coach, Upper Valley Rowing and Rocket Science Rowing

• Dave Harvey: head coach women’s crew, Pacific Lutheran University

• Gel Greene: rower, founder of Gel Pads

• Bill Donoho: rower, Western Reserve Rowing Association

• Emma Bennett: head coach, Seize the Oar Foundation

Episode 6: Coach Sara Nevin

Episode 6:

Sara Nevin won three varsity 8+ national championships and went undefeated in collegiate competition while at the University of Washington. She’s a three-time Washington Rowing Hall of Famer and two-time U.S. national team member. With 30+ years of coaching high school, masters, and collegiate programs including UC Berkeley, and Mills College, Sara’s a legend.

See the full show notes at www.steadystatenetwork.com/podcast.

Join our Patreon community, sponsor the podcast, advertise in the upcoming magazine and submit your art - all on our website! Go Team!

Audio Postcard: Rower LifeCycle

Steady State Network co-founder Tara Morgan's audio postcard on the lesson of the Rower Life Cycle from Coach Sara Nevin.

Ep. 5: Science Of Rowing Guys - Will, Blake, and Joe

Episode 5:

Tara and Rachel asked the analytical guys behind Science of Rowing – Will Ruth, Blake Gourley, and Joe DeLeo – about high school regatta memories, injuries, and finding direction in life outside the boat. We also find out about their research on rowing training and performance, and the summaries they deliver to Science of Rowing members, with the intention of leveling the playing field for under-resourced coaches and rowers. 

Become a Science of Rowing member in November 2020 and 100% of the profits will be donated to the George Pocock Rowing Foundation A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund.

Plus Best Part Of Your Rowing Week calls from: grey whale-spotting Rod Sternagle (see video below!), South African club founder and rower Val Blacking, and masters rower and all-round beast Jen Huffman, granddaughter of Joe Rantz from The Boys In The Boat.

See the full show notes at www.steadystatenetwork.com/podcast.

Join our Patreon community, sponsor the podcast, advertise in the upcoming magazine and submit your art - all on our website! Go Team!