S3E12 - Zoe Vais: Youth Rowing Evangelist

We are really interested in backstories – the experiences on and off the water that make people the rowers, coaches, and coxswains they are today. And when it comes to rowing programs and initiatives, we’re curious about who’s behind the scenes creating opportunities for their communities.

With that in mind, we took a trip to the George Pocock Rowing Center in Seattle to talk with Zoe Vais, the organization’s Middle School Programs Specialist. She’s also a coach for GPRF’s Camp Lucy – a free learn-to-row camp for girls, inclusive of non-binary, trans, and gender non-conforming youth. From being a walk-on at the University of Washington, to leaving a mark on Seattle rowing, Zoe offers a thoughtful look at slowly falling in love with the sport and the important role coaches play in young rowers’ lives.

GUEST
Zoe Vais
zoe@pocockfoundation.org
@coach_zoe / @thepocockfdn

 

TIME STAMPS

0:00 Welcome
2:00 Introduction to George Pocock Rowing Foundation and Pocock Racing Center
2:55 - Rapid Fire Q&A
7:53 - Being a walk-on at UW when you don't know anything about rowing or UW's place in rowing history
14:45 - Falling in love with rowing… slowly
19:00 - Coach Bob Ernst inspired Zoe to follow a path to coaching, starting with an internship at UW
26:00 - Coach Across America / Up2Us AmericaCorps 28:30 - Making practice a loving and encouraging place for HS girls and keeping it competitive
31:39 - Camp Lucy: fun, hard work, empowerment, curiosit
39:45 - Partnering with non-profits and schools to bring kids to camp
41:30 - How to know that Camp Lucy is a success?
48:50 - Girls carrying “the load” on inclusion; "Camp Stan;" and kids leading the conversation

To see photos of Zoe, along with links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in the episode, check out the show notes on our website.

This episode was made possible in part by our Patrons and the support of Concept2.