Steady State Podcast

S5E9 - Perspective: One Coach's Lifesaving Efforts

This is the fourth episode in a series on heart attacks and emergency preparedness. In this multi-part series you’ll hear first hand accounts from rowers who survived heart attacks, teammates and coaches who witnessed these events, and even from widows who reflect on warning signs and “what ifs.”
On this episode:Damion Winship had only been coaching for the Ancient Mariners Rowing Club for a short while the morning his coaching life changed. A masters rower new to his program had a heart attack on the water. Hear how Damion worked through his emergency checklist, how his CPR training kicked in, and how the crew worked together to try to save a life. 
Other episodes in this series:Giving and Getting Support: Burnham Boat Slings’ Peter Kermond
Sue and John Hooten’s Mutual Admiration Society
For One Heart Attack Survivor, the Beat Goes On
 
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in01:25 - What prompted our heart attack and emergency preparedness series03:40 - Coaching older rowers; Rowing and Aging project05:58 - Coach Damion Winship details the moment a guest rower suffered a heart attack and the steps he and the crew took to try to save his life12:38 - Providing CPR on the water, and quick decision making23:05 - Damion and the aftermath - protocols and more28:31 - Tara and Rachel post-interview reflections36:28 - USRowing Director of Safeguarding Tom Rooks’ tips for rowers and coaches in an on-water emergency situation39:47 - SSN events and initiatives
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To see photos of Damion, and get links to the people, clubs, events, and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.

S5E8 - Bonnie Garmus: Life Lessons in Balance

Bonnie Garmus was a competitive masters rower for years before an offhand comment during a business meeting prompted her to begin writing her debut novel, "Lessons in Chemistry," which has been adapted into an Apple TV+ series.
Everyone wants to talk with Bonnie about the book’s main character, Elizabeth Zott, but we turned the table to ask Bonnie about the role rowing plays in her life – and her book – which has been on The New York Times bestseller list for nearly 100 weeks.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in and intro
03:04 - The Huddle: Get to know Bonnie Garmus
03:35 - Rowing Week: erging
05:15 - Meeting the Queen 
07:26 - Hot Seat Q&A
08:38 - Cold open water swimming as a kid with her Dad
11:42 - Learning to row at Green Lake Rowing Club in Seattle
15:08 - Feeling a boat pick up and go for the first time
17:34 - Tara explains “the rower life cycle”
19:33 - How rowing effected Bonnie’s life
22:50 - Rowing as a character in "Lessons in Chemistry"
22:46 - Rowing as a hardship for Elizabeth to handle 
29:14 - Was any of the book’s rowing based on Bonnie’s personal experience?
30:11 - What Bonnie really thinks about the Apple TV+ adaptation of "Lessons in Chemistry"
32:34 - Learning to never quit
33:19 - About that other book adapted for screen: "Boys in the Boat"
39:01 - SSN events and initiatives
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To see photos of Bonnie, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.

E5S7 - Giving and Getting Support: Burnham Boat Sling's Peter Kermond

This is the third episode in a series on heart attacks and emergency preparedness. In this multi-part series you’ll hear first hand accounts from rowers who survived heart attacks, teammates and coaches who witnessed these events, and even from widows who reflect on warning signs and “what ifs.”
On this episode:Peter Kermond has been the face and voice of Burnham Boat Slings since purchasing the business in 1999. When he's not in the shop, or out rowing, he is probably manning a Burnham booth at a regatta. That’s where we met him - at Head of the Charles - in 2022, just a month after he survived a widowmaker heart attack. Peter and his wife Carin Reynolds are both successful national team members, masters rowers, and high school coaches. They are also a testament to teamwork, as they navigated Peter’s health emergency and rehabilitation, and his return to racing.
Other episodes in this series:
Sue and John Hooten’s Mutual Admiration Society
For One Heart Attack Survivor, the Beat Goes On
 
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in02:20 - The Huddle: Get to know Peter and Carin04:40 - Rowing Week: erg and tank workouts06:12 - Hot Seat Q&A10:59 - Peter got hooked on rowing in high school training, traveling, and racing in the summer with Belmont Rowing Club13:22 - Carin’s college sophomore experience with “WRECK” rowing14:10 - Peter and Carin met in 1984 as members of the US  LTWT National Team, reconnected years later as coaches in New Hampshire15:59 - The day in 2022 when Peter had a widowmaker heart attack24:12 - Family history, no warning25:45 - Rehab, getting back in the boat, and feeling better than before the heart attack31:08 - Support from the rowing community32:32 - Bringing awareness to friends and rowers about heart health35:59 - Finding perfect strokes on the Connecticut River in Hanover, NH39:47 - Burnham coastal products, Blackburn Challenge, and Race Around the Rock47:10 - Tom’s Tips49:10 - SSN events and initiatives
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To see photos of Peter and Carin, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Live2Row, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
 

S5E6 - How to Thrive: Lessons from ZLAC, the World's Oldest Women's Rowing Club

As part of our club spotlight series and in the lead-up to San Diego Crew Classic, we head to California to get to know ZLAC, the oldest women’s rowing club in the world.
Established in 1892, ZLAC's unique structure allows for both competitive and social memberships. You don't have to row. New members are added to generational Crews to bolster cross-program and boathouse interaction and provide personal connections to members in a similar age range for support. As far as we know, ZLAC is unique in this offering. Be prepared to take notes and consider what more your club could do to help build and sustain community.
Through the years, ZLAC programs have produced U.S. National Team members, Olympians, top college rowers, regional racers, and thousands of recreational rowers. The heart of ZLAC’s mission is to support all women and girls through the sport of rowing. 
We're joined by ZLAC's Masters Head Coach Chris Shannon, Athletic Chair Tanya Ferguson, and recent LTR grad Lee Copson.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in02:17 - The Huddle: Get to know Chris, Tanya, and Lee02:54 - Rowing Week05:39 - Hot Seat Q&A09:56 - Chris got just one sculling lesson, then spent months flipping before being invited to a sweep team14:49 - Lee was a social member since high school, and learned to row when she became an empty nester17:38 - Tanya came to rowing after a soccer injury20:52 - A brief look at ZLAC's 130+ year history23:18 - ZLAC’s generational social crews and the bonds they help create among members27:06 - Understanding the inner workings that make ZLAC so special 27:55 - Joining, membership, and programs30:18 - Lee describes San Diego Bay30:59 - ZLAC’s decades-long involvement with San Diego Crew Classic35:14 - Chris, Tanya, and Lee tell us what's ahead in 202441:39 - ZLAC’s Legacy
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To see photos of Chris, Tanya, Lee, and ZLAC founders, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Live2Row, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
 

S5E5 - Sue and John Hooten's Mutual Admiration Society

This is the second episode in a series on heart attacks and emergency preparedness. In this multi-part series you’ll hear first hand accounts from rowers who survived heart attacks, teammates and coaches who witnessed these events, and even from widows who reflect on warning signs and “what ifs.”
On this episode:A member of the first U.S. women’s Olympic team and a longtime masters rower, Sue Hooten has a lifetime of rowing memories. She learned to row in California in the early 1970s, really appreciated the boathouse sock box in Philadelphia, and has raced around the world. In March 2018, her husband, former National Team and Vesper Boat Club coach John Hooten, had a medical emergency on the water while training in his 1x. He was out with his training partner, without a coach, and – like most rowers – was not wearing a PFD.
Stay tuned ‘til the end. We tapped Tom Rooks, USRowing’s Director of Safeguarding, for top safety tips that scullers – who row without a coach present – should consider.
Other episodes in this series:Giving and Getting Support: Burnham Boat Slings’ Peter Kermond
For One Heart Attack Survivor, the Beat Goes On
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in01:57 - The Huddle: Get to know Sue05:55 - Sue’s Rowing Week… could have been better: arthritis & cataracts06:37 - Hot Seat Q&A11:20 - Sue’s rowing story began as walk on at UC Santa Barbara14:29 - Meeting Coach Harry Parker and moving to Boston for National Team selection camp18:47 - Coach Ted Nash paired Sue with Laura (Staines) Giardano for the 2x22:27 - Meeting Vesper coach John Hooten24:36 - About John and his unconventional way of looking at things29:37 - John’s return to rowing in 201631:14 - March 5, 2018: The day John didn’t make it back to the dock33:20 - Looking back at warning signs35:57 - Could a life jacket have helped John?38:21 - Staying connected with friends after John’s death39:23 - What’s ahead for Sue’s rowing life in 2024?41:57 - Tom’s Top Tips: USRowing safety guidelines for scullers rowing without a coach present
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To see photos of Sue and John, and get links to the people, clubs, events, and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Live2Row, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
 

S5E4: For One Heart Attack Survivor, the Beat Goes On

This is the first episode in a series on heart attacks and emergency preparedness. In this multi-part series you’ll hear first hand accounts from rowers who survived heart attacks, teammates and coaches who witnessed these events, and even from widows who reflect on warning signs and “what ifs.”
In this episode:Willamette Rowing Club couple David Setter and Sarah Copeland are enthusiastic about having learned to row as adults and use the word "fun" to describe their rowing life way more than anyone else we've can think of. But one day in 2018, David had a heart attack. Together, David and Sarah recount that day and why he survived, and delve into  recovery and returning to the boat. We also come to terms with erg splits going up as we get older and talk about learning to enjoy rowing for the sake of rowing.
We also tap Tom Rooks, USRowing’s Director of Safeguarding, for top tips that coaches, rowers, and teammates can use when there’s an emergency on the water, or around the boathouse.
Other episodes in this series:Giving and Getting Support: Burnham Boat Slings’ Peter Kermond
Sue and John Hooten’s Mutual Admiration Society
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in01:21 - The Huddle: Get to know David and Sarah04:10 - David and Sarah's rowing week was terrible 06:44 - Hot Seat Q&A17:00 - David’s rowing origin story21:43 - Sarah’s rowing origin story24:41 - David describes his heart attack like “the 1,500m mark of a 2k”30:27 - Genetics had David thinking he’d be dead by 6035:39 - Sarah’s side of the story: knowing David since they were 16, she was sure he’d survive the heart attack37:36 - Trusting your body after injury, and your heart after a Widowmaker heart attack44:18 - The reality of getting older, slower splits, and finding joy in rowing49:19 - What’s ahead for David and Sarah’s rowing life in 2024?53:18 - Tom’s Top Tips: USRowing guidelines for responding to a heart attack at your boathouse57:49 - Behind the scenes with Tara and Rachel
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To see photos of David and Sarah, and get links to the people, clubs, events, and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
 

S5E3: Elizabeth Gilmore Gets After It

Elizabeth Gilmore has had in insanely meteoric trajectory from indoor rowing newbie to indoor rowing champion and world record holder, to Head of the Charles course record breaker.
It all started with getting on the erg to rehab a running injury. Then came the Concept2 Logbook and challenges. Then virtual racing (and winning), before stepping onto the gym floor at Erg Sprints for her first in-person event where she took home two gold medals.
She was scouted by Capital Rowing Club where she learned to row sweep on the fly with the competitive women’s program, and today is to training for a row across the Atlantic.
And all of this in the span of just about two years.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in
04:20 - The Huddle: Get to know Elizabeth in a minute
05:07 - Rowing Week on a scale of 1 to 10: 7 - good training, bad weather
05:53 - Hot Seat Q&A
08:44 - When ball sport coordination is lacking, run
10:57- Elizabeth’s rowing origin story began while rehabbing a running injury
13:57 - COVID and the rise of virtual indoor rowing training and racing
16:04 - Elizabeth’s first in-person indoor rowing event: Erg Sprints
18:54 - Getting scouted by Capital Rowing Club and how learning to row with the competitive women’s program was like drinking water from a firehouse
25:35 - Endurance rowing: training to row the Atlantic in 2024; December 2023 erg 100k with friends; passing the time on the erg; Lessons in Chemistry
31:25 - What’s next in 2024?
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To see photos of Elizabeth, and get links to the people, clubs, and events, mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
 

S5E2: Coach Libby Boghossian Picks Up Where SafeSport Leaves Off

Teens are super aware of stranger danger from a really young age, but most of them have genuinely never thought about misconduct from known adults. Using SafeSport training as a springboard, Coach Libby Boghossian leads in-depth discussions with her Brookline High School rowers about team policies and the concepts of consent, power imbalance, and coercion. She’s helping to create a culture for her young athletes where everyone is enlisted in the effort to keep their rowing community safe.
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in
01:54 - Rachel & Tara talk SafeSport, "when were kids," and "kids nowadays"
07:45 - Key point: the kids are crucial
08:40 - The Huddle: Get to know Libby in a minute
09:22 - Rowing Week on a scale of 1 to 10: 6
09:55 - Hot Seat Q&A
16:28 - Libby's rowing origin story is a doozie
24:25- Libby's first coaching gig while in college, and the quirks of coaching novices
33:07 - A (very) brief intro to SafeSport
34:26 - Why SafeSport and conduct are important to Libby and her rowing community in Boston
38:11 - SafeSport training for teens: making sure the whole team is on the same page
46:38 - Inside the teenage mind when determining unpleasant vs abusive treatment by coaches
49:07 - Kids are critical in terms of being on the front lines and seeing behaviors and activities first
50:13 - Red flags to look out for and a deep dive into Libby’s discussion for her junior athletes
58:27 - Feedback from rowers and parents about Libby's curriculum
1:03:10 - What Libby wished she knew as a teenager 
1:04:07 - Libby’s hope for the future of the rowing community
1:05:43 - Abuse can happen at all levels, getting kids involved in spotting and reporting incidents
1:08:22 - Resources
1:09:14 - Teenagers and maturity
1:10:00 - Sign off
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
 

S5E1 - Mary Whipple: Coaching the Coxswain

After providing some basic instruction, coaches often leave coxswains to figure things out on their own.
Three-time medal-winning U.S. Olympic coxswain Mary Whipple recognized this gap in the coaching playbook and founded The 9th Seat, offering camps, resources, and community for coxswains.
Hear what Mary has to say about lucky breaks and logistics, and why being a motivator isn’t at the top of her coxing list.
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
05:07 - Team huddle: Mary’s coxing bio 
05:45 - Mary’s rowing week: Writing the USRowing Coxing Course for athletes and coaches
13:30 - Developing empathy as a coxswain and giving rowers time to make changes
16:48 - Creating a practice environment where coxswain feels safe to fail
23:03 - Hot Seat Q&A
26:45 - What was behind Mary’s successful trajectory from high school, to UW, to the National Team?
33:33 - Hitting her stride at the University of Washington
35:15 - Mary’s most influential coaches
40:21 - Keeping coxswains engaged and motivated throughout the pipeline from scholastic, to college, to masters
45:27 - On bad days…
46:30 - More talking isn’t better. Listen, feel, check-in, fix.
49:05 - The perfect stroke: a feeling that comes from efficiency, suspension, and collaboration
55:38 - Leading the way in coaching coxswains
56:29 - Outro
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To see photos of Mary, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Tara Morgan and Rachel Freedman. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
 

S4E23 - The Jen Huffman Connection

Jen Huffman gave her son a guilt trip about learning to row. “You would make your great grandpa so happy!” And when your great grandpa is Joe Rantz, 7 seat in the University of Washington crew that took gold at the 1936 Olympics, you learn to row. Jen also took up the challenge and learned to row as an adult, quickly becoming an accomplished masters rower in the Seattle area.
Growing up, Jen didn’t know much about her Grandpa Joe’s rowing history. But late in his life, she found his memorabilia from the crew’s trip to the Berlin Olympics. Jen tells us how a scrapbook she made became the jumping off point for author Daniel James Brown’s now blockbuster book The Boys in the Boat.
Ten years after the book was published, it’s become a George Clooney-directed movie. We talk with Jen about the power of rowing and seeing her grandpa brought to life on the big screen.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
01:49 - Team huddle: Jen’s rowing bio 
02:13 - Jen’s rowing week rated a 6, and included a “sushi race” in Lake Union in Seattle, WA
05:33 - Hot Seat Q&A
08:34 - Getting to know grandpa Joe
13:18 - Jenn guilt-tripped her son into learning to row, then learned to row herself in 2008
18:24 - Coaching gymnastics, coaching rowing, and taking off your coach’s hat when you’re rowing
25:56 - Jen’s 2023 rowing season
28:45 - The story of The Boys in the Boat book began with a family scrapbook 
34:42 - Being a part of Daniel James Brown’s writing process, and learning about Grandpa Joe chapter by chapter
39:55 - MOHAI exhibit, Joe’s “Amerika” flag, and some Husky Challenger history
43:28 - North Cascades Crew Joe Rantz Boathouse on Lake Stevens
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To see photos of Jen, Joe, and 1936 UW memorabilia, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E22: 2023 Year in Review

In this special episode, co-hosts Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan take a look back at 2023. Go behind the scenes of Steady State Podcast to learn more about Rachel and Tara's rowing careers, listen to clips from some of their favorite season 4 episodes, consider their big takeaways from interviews with nearly 40 guests in the past 12 months, and get a peak at what's to come in Season 5 in 2024.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro / a reflection on the first 4 seasons of Steady State Podcast
03:14 - Get to know co-hosts Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan
08:57 - On a scale of 1-10 ... rating our rowing year
13:28 - Hot Seat Q&A
24:05 - The building blocks of a podcast: awesome audience, supportive Patrons, marketing
26:25 - Favorite moments of 2023: gender identity policy series, Gevvie Stone, Lindsay Dare Shoop, Next Level Rowing, Indianapolis Rowing Club spotlight, Unity Boat Club's Excellence in Black Rowing event
45:05 - Upping our game as a media outlet at USRowing Masters Nationals and Head of the Charles
47:41 - Takeaways: it's time to take beach sprints and coastal rowing seriously; incorporating non-binary athletes into racing is complicated
53:05 - Partnerships
54:29 - Wrapping up Season 4 with Jennifer Huffman, masters rower and granddaughter of Boys in the Boat central character Joe Rantz.
56:07 - Season 5 sneak peek: Olympic coxswain Mary Whipple, on water emergencies and safety, keeping junior athletes safe, indoor world record holder Elizabeth Gilmore, and Lessons in Chemistry author Bonnie Garmus.
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To see photos of Rachel and Tara, 2023 podcast guests, and get links to the people, clubs, policies, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E21: Mass. Local Ellen Minzner on HOCR, Para, and Equity in Rowing

Think of rowing and Boston and there’s one name that really stands out: Ellen Minzner. Born and raised in Lawrence, Mass., Ellen has spent more than two decades developing and leading programs in the state, including most recently as the Director of Outreach and then Director of Inclusion and Advocacy at Community Rowing Inc.
Ellen also balances being the co-chair of the Head of the Charles Announcing Committee with her full-time position as USRowing Para High Performance Director, a title she’s held since 2019.
From walk on at Villanova University to 5-time National Team member, to her transition into coaching and program development, Ellen saw the long game: changing the status quo of her clubs, organizations, and communities.
In this episode, she also gives a peek behind the curtains of the world’s premier annual rowing competition - the Head of the Charles - from her vantage point in an announcers booth on the roof of Cambridge Boat Club.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Lead-In Banter
04:45 - Welcome
06:26 - Bio/Olympics Distance
Rowing Week is quiet after getting home from Worlds, looking ahead to para rowing in ‘24 and ‘28
11:19 - The Hot Seat Q&A
18:51 - Walking on at Villanova sophomore year, being a part of Boathouse Row, and finding summer rowing in Lowell, MA
23:39 - Coaching at CRI planted the seeds of a National Team dream. A bumpy trajectory across five national teams in the ‘90s was a lesson in playing the long game.
26:24 - Retiring from the National Team and transitioning into college coaching
28:40 - The teaching magic of the pair
31:50 - Returning to Massachusetts to help bring rowing opportunities to her blue collar community
34:36 - Pairing rowing community accessibility with “what is just and equitable” has driven Ellen’s career
37:15 - The future of para rowing: developing juniors athletes, and supporting collegiate programs that recruit athletes with disabilities
45:50 - Ellen’s early involvement with HOCR, how announcing has changed over the years, and how it makes the sport more inclusive and accessible
49:54 - Watching HOCR from the roof of Cambridge Boat Club, Elliot Bridge, and other great spots
51:58 - Behind the scenes at HOCR
56:56 - Listener Question: "My HOCR coxswain hasn't coxed in several years. Should I be worried?" 
58:50 - HOCR meet and greet for para rowers at Noon in the USRowing tent
1:00:04 - HOCR’s Ellen Minzner trophy, awarded each year to the winners of the  LTA 4+
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To see photos of Ellen and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Barb, Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E20: Back to School with Lindsay Dare Shoop

In 2002, Lindsay Dare Shoop reluctantly walked-on at the University of Virginia. Within a year she became an NCAA Division I All American. In four years she broke a world record and earned her first World Championship. Within six years her hard work manifested a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Today she seeks to help others remove self-imposed limitations. This Fall, 20 years after it all began, the author of Better Great Than Never returns to UVA as an assistant coach, paying it forward. 
This thought-provoking conversation considers serendipity, struggle, pressures on student athletes, walk-ons, team-building, rowing for life, Head of the Charles (and being coxed by Mary Whipple), and a whole lot more.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
04:50 - How 9/11 indirectly led to Lindsay walking on at the University of Virginia
07:38 - When Rachel met Lindsay at Steeringuwright / Endeavor Racing Alliance Camp; coaching rowers to consider the long timeline
11:30 - The Huddle
12:48 - Coaching CrossFit coaches and developing an indoor rowing curriculum with USRowing
15:31 - Rowing Week
16:00 - Preparing for HOCR, being coxed by 3-time Olympic medalist Mary Whipple
18:14 - Beijing teammate Anna Mickelson on savoring the moment
19:30 - The Hot Seat Q&A
23:23 - Growing up on a farm in Virginia, playing with boys, and trying “all the sports”
25:19 - Early Olympic dreams and the notion of “not being a real athlete”
27:40 - Losing her athletic self and finding it again at the University of Virginia
32:44 - The waning prevalence of collegiate walk-ons, the importance of novice rowing, and optimizing movement patterns
38:48 - How social media, NILs, and the prospect of financial contracts  have put additional pressure on college athletes
43:15 - Beyond erg scores: intangibles that make for positive team culture
46:19 - Better Great Than Never, inspiring others, “catching up with the things your parents always said,” and taking it one day at a time
50:49 - “Team” as the tribes of today; and the importance of paying attention, getting and staying connected with people
53:00 - Winning gold in Beijing and the weight of the moment she was handed a medal from Anita DeFrantz
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To see photos of Lindsay and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Barb, Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E19 - Mitch King: Finding and Pushing Past Limits

“Physical limitations only exist if you’re willing to find them.” This is the philosophy of Mitch King, a coxswain for River City Rowing Club in Sacramento, CA. Every day he does countless things that doctors said were impossible when he was a kid diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
Mitch doesn’t call himself a disability advocate, doesn’t want to be an inspiration, and would rather folks didn’t try to tiptoe around his disability.
We talk balancing coxing with graduate school, collaborative coxing, finding tenths of seconds on the erg, and shattering expectations. 
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
02:10 - The Huddle
04:38 - Rate Your rowing week: 1-10… quickly turns into swapping coxing stories
10:05  - The Hot Seat Q&A
15:44 - Coxing origin story
19:24 - How rowing helps student athletes with discipline and time management
21:22 - Erging with the team began as a means to understand what his athletes were going through, and became an outlet for moving beyond internal and external limitations of his Cerebral Palsy
29:18 - Collaborative coxing: getting to know your rowers, giving and receiving feedback, sharing race strategies, leaving your worries on shore
35:08 - Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as a kid, Mitch wants strangers to assume he, and other people with disabilities, are competent and capable
38:50 - It’s okay to ask, and it’s okay to say “disabled”
43:21 - Being an inadvertent ambassadors for people with disabilities, how we’ve been socialized to understand disability, and  rebutting the notion of being an inspiration
49:03 - Mitch’s rowing pitch
50:00 - What’s next and hoping to make it to Head of the Charles
49:56 - Outro
54:48 - Outtakes
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To get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Barb, Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E18 - Know Where You Row Campaign Connects People, Land, and Water

That place a lot of us call a second home – the boathouse – is on land with a long history. And the waterways we dip our oars in once provided sustenance. Know Where You Row is a campaign across the United States and Canada to explore the spaces and places where we row, which have been – and continue to be – the lands of the native peoples who, for centuries, have stewarded them.
Know Where You Row encourages rowing clubs to connect with the history of the waterways and land that they use, and the indigenous tribes of the area. The team behind the campaign – Dave Harvey, Julia Gonzalez-Wolf and Steady State’s own Tara Morgan – tell us more.
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QUICK LOOK00:00 - Intro03:15 -  The Huddle03:52 - Rate your rowing week: 1-1004:35 - The Hot Seat Q&A06:50 - How rowing came into Dave and Julia’s lives, and what keeps them hooked on rowing11:42 - An intro to Tacoma Rowing’s work in the community13:12 - How Tara and Dave connected14:20 - Tara’s nugget of an idea that led to Know Where You Row began at Lake Stevens19:10 - About the PacNW, the prevalence of indigenous tribes, and land acknowledgements22:35 - About the Know Where You Row campaign28:45 - How clubs and boathouses can move beyond the performative
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To get links to the people, clubs, events, and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Barb, Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E17 - Horizon Racing USA Seeks Adventure and World Record on the World’s Toughest Row

The World's Toughest Row is a 2,800-mile race across the Pacific Ocean. On June 12, 2024, more than 20 teams will leave Monterey, CA and race to Kauai, HI in unsupported, man-powered ocean rowing boats.
Hannah Huppi (NORC), Phil Doyle (PBC), and Hunter Deuel (OWRC) formed Horizon Racing USA to take on this massive rowing challenge. They are solidly into their planning and training with a goal of breaking the Mixed 4x World Record for rowing across the Mid-Pacific ocean – which currently stands at just over 34 days.
We talk about lots of steady state training on the erg, star-gazing and the unknown, competitive drive, Cheez-Its, and fundraising for Laureus Sport For Good USA.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - intro
02:00 - Welcome and The Huddle
03:20 - Rate Your rowing week: 1 to 10
05:04 - The Hot Seat Q&A
08:33 - Rowing origin stories: Hannah, Phil, Hunter
14:13 - About the World’s Toughest Row across the Pacific
15:50 - About their 4-person Ranoch RX45 boat
18:20 - Whose  idea was it to row the WTR; finding a fourth crewmate, necessary skills, and the importance of coming together as a competitive unit
28:56 - Supporting their charity partner Laureus Sport for Good USA
31:20 - Sponsorship opportunities and Hannah’s hopes for Cheez Its
33:24 - How training started, what they’re looking forward to, and what they’re nervous about 
40:40 - Letting go of flatwater perfection, thinking BIG intervals, and canned peaches for celebrating milestones
46:15 - The adventure of a lifetime and leaving an impact on the next generation
50:10 - Sign Off
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To see photos of Hannah, Phil, an Hunter, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Barb, Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E16 - Challenging the Binary: Making a New Lane in Rowing

This is the final episode in a four-part special series on gender identity policies in rowing.
Since December 2022, World Athletics, World Rowing, USRowing and other national governing bodies, have announced updated gender identity policies. In response, voices across the rowing community have stood up for "fairness for women" and alternatively "inclusion for marginalized athletes." We're taking a closer look.
Dr. David Scherzer learned to row with DC Strokes Rowing Club, one of just a handful of dedicated, independent LGBTQ+ rowing clubs in the world. But for many years, even DC Strokes wasn’t able to provide answers to David about how they could participate and race as a non-binary athlete.
And when Bobbi Kizer, PhD inquired about racing at Head of the Lake as a transgender athlete, the organizing committee worked with them to create an exhibition “mixed” category for all genders.
But in general, the current USRowing gender inclusion policy leaves transgender, non-binary, and other gender nonconforming rowers with very few opportunities to race.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Rachel and Tara re-introduce the podcast’s Gender Identity Policies series05:40 - Welcome and The Huddle08:05 - David and Bobbi’s rowing week10:12 - Hot Seat Q&A12:45 - Rowing origin stories: Bobbi, then David21:02 - Club community agreements and DEI committees25:09 - Intro to World Rowing and USRowing gender identity policies26:55 - Laying the groundwork: sex, gender, and gender identity29:45 - Bobbi’s experiences as a trans rower at SRRA, Head of the Lake, and ZLAC sweep camp37:50 - David’s surprising experiences as a non-binary rower in an LGBT+ club40:32 - What current USRowing open and mixed racing opportunities mean for non-binary and trans rowers46:32 - ICONS petition and “fairness for females”53:21 - As a new member of USRowing’s DEI committee, David is ambivalent56:08 - David and Rachel’s perspective on DC Strokes Rowing Club and the challenge of retaining gender non-conforming rowers1:01:35 - How Bobbi’s combining their psychiatry practice with the sport through rowing group therapy 1:06:00 - Sign off
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To see photos of Bobbi and David, and to get links to the people, clubs, policies, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Barb, Breakwater Realty, Concept2, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.

S4E15 - Indianapolis Rowing Center: From LTR to National Championships

Start your engines! Get to know Indianapolis Rowing Center, host of the 2023 USRowing Masters National Championships. We talk with IRC board President Janet Francis, Masters Head Coach Zach Christopher, and recent LTR grad Lisa Stickley. Developed in the 1980s, the race course at Eagle Creek remains one of the country’s premiere venues, host to PanAm Games, World Rowing Championships, NCAA Championships, and a lot more. Get an inside scoop on Vendors Village, course strategy, and IRC, Indy’s only rowing club.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro/Lead-in02:35 - Welcome and The Huddle05:06 - Rowing week and local tornado07:00 - Hot Seat Q&A12:13 - Rowing origin stories: Zach, Lisa, then Janet17:50 - Rowing into our 80s20:19 - Janet’s role as IRC president, current challenges and plans/ initiatives 24:13 - A local’s perspective on Eagle Creek27:25 - IRC is the only rowing center in Indy, and offers programs for all ages30:41 - Volunteering for Masters Nats31:11 - Recruiting new members33:18 - Rowers sure do love talking about rowing…36:46 - the development of IRC at Eagle Creek for a premiere rowing venue39:55 - committees and community partnerships make big events possible41:37 - Vendor village, the beach where there shall be no swimming, beer garden, and coxswain tosses are approved.43:41 - First Masters Nationals experiences48:51 - IRC Course trade secrets50:44 - Sign off
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To see photos of Janet, Zach, and Lisa, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by RowSource, Barb, EB5 Investors, Concept2, and our Patrons.

S4E14 - Coach Kevin Harris on the Importance of Embracing Diversity

GENDER IDENTITY POLICIES: Part 3
Since December 2022, World Athletics, World Rowing, USRowing and other national governing bodies, have announced updated gender identity policies. In response, voices across the rowing community have stood up for "fairness for women" and alternatively "inclusion for marginalized athletes." We're taking a closer look.
Kevin Harris’s coaching career began in the early 1990s and culminated with 20+ years at the helm of the University of Tulsa women’s rowing program. Harris offers an in-depth and thought-provoking perspective on DEI, the importance of boathouses as welcoming spaces, the prevalence of transgender and non-binary rowers in the United States, and gender inclusion policies.
ICYMI: Gender Identity Policy SeriesPart 1 - Dr. Mary O’Connor: Fighting to Save Women’s RowingPart 2 - Coach Anne Strayer on Inclusion and Self-Worth in Rowing
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QUICK LOOK
00:50 - Pre-interview banter with Tara and Rachel
04:30 - The Huddle, a discussion of Kevin’s early coaching career in D.C. and Virginia
05:30 - Hot Seat Q&A
08:20 - Starting out as a coach, Stonewall Regatta
10:35 - Experience at 2023 Youth Nationals with the USRowing Board of Directors, perspective on FL controversy as a Black man who grew up in the South
19:00 - Welcome mat at T.C. Williams High School when he learned to row
21:30 - The Harris family history in Alexandria, VA and why Kevin’s mom asked him why he wanted to get into a “white boy’s sport”
29:20 - Kevin’s reality as a lightweight hit him when he arrived at the Naval Academy, and then coach bumped him to the cox seat
31:50 - An unexpected early departure from the Naval Academy led him to his first coaching job at T.C. Williams
33:50 - History of Dee Campbell Boathouse in Alexandria, VA
36:10 - The development of USRowing’s DEI committee in 2020
45:00 - Intro to Gender Inclusion Policies and the ICONS petition
47:10 - Kevin’s inroads to coaching women’s programs 
50:02 - Title IX, gender policies, the ICONS petition, and DEI from Kevin’s unique perspective as an NCAA coach and member of the USRowing Board.
1:00:00 - USRowing’s work to accommodate a huge variety of members
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To see photos of Kevin, and to get links to the people, clubs, policies, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by RowSource, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons.
 

S4:E13 Midwest Pride: Chicago Rowing Union’s Michael Toutloff

PRIDE MONTH SPECIAL: PART 2We visit Chicago Rowing Union (CRU), the Midwest's only LGBTQ+ rowing organization, and one of just a few such clubs in the world. CRU member and social media manager Michael Toutloff talks with us about the importance of safe spaces and being yourself, finding community and competition on the water, and proudly flying the flag at regattas. 
Listen to Part 1 of our Pride month special – a chat with LGBTQ+ DC Strokes Rowing Club and the Melbourne Argonauts.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Podcast lead-in01:37 - Rachel and Tara banter about Pride month03:30 - Team Huddle: Michael’s bio in 45 seconds04:14 - Tara’s out sick!05:18 - The Hot Seat Q&A09:35 - “Set the wayback machine” - learning to row at Indiana University with tulip blades and wooden shells12:30 - Personal and professional changes led Michael back to rowing after many years off the water17:33 - LGBTQ+ community in Chicago20:10 - Partnering with other LGBTQ+ sports organizations for networking and club growth21:00 - CRU – the only LGBTQ+ rowing club in the midwest – was established in2006 for the Chicago Gay Games22:43 - Comparing experiences at CRU with other rowing clubs, and CRU as a safe space where LGBTQ+ members can be themselves26:07 - Flying the flag of inclusion, and acceptance of the local rowing community30:25 - Supporting DC Strokes’ boycott of the 2022 USRowing Masters National Championship in Florida34:48 - CRU is having a renaissance in 2023
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To see photos of Michael, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons.
 

S4E12 - Letting Go of Perfection: Coastal Rowing

A small but growing group of flat water rowers are making a transition to coastal rowing. In 2021, USRowing boated its first-ever Beach Sprints National team and in 2022 Next Level Rowing appeared on the scene, training high performance rowers who have gone on to win medals at domestic and international coastal regattas.
The U.S. is just taking on this discipline, which has been raced for generations in Europe. We reached out to coastal rowing rising stars Christopher Bak and Christine Cavallo, and their coach Ben Booth, co-founder of Next Level Rowing. All three wax poetic about giving in to Mother Nature, working through adversity, and why coastal – like indoor rowing – is a perfect cross-training option.
 
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Podcast lead-in02:15 - Rachel and Tara banter03:12 - welcome05:25 - Team Huddle: Get to know Chris, Christine, and Ben09:25 - The Hot Seat Q&A14:09 - What’s the hook? Why they keep coming back to rowing season after season.20:30 - Ben’s coaching philosophy: teach a way of being - being present and true to yourself30:52 - Coastal, like indoor rowing, translates to flat water. Great cross training and it’s fun! Working the same sport specific muscle pattern while having a completely different neurological experience35:08 - Ben’s involvement in USRowing’s early move into coastal38:05 - Intro to coastal rowing disciplines: beach sprint and endurance40:52 - Approach coastal with an open mind43:40 - Ben couldn’t find the coastal boat he wanted so he got into backyard design and build, which evolved into Next Boatworks, the only coastal manufacturer in the U.S.51:27 - On the coastal rowing horizon for 202354:48 - Bringing rowing to non-traditional spaces, marketing, and growing the sport58:45 - opportunities to try coastal rowing in ME and MA, and check out the boats at some USRowing events
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To see photos of Ben, Christine, and Chris, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons.
 

S4E11 - Community Pride: DC Strokes and Melbourne Argonauts

PRIDE MONTH SPECIAL: PART 1
Only a handful of rowing clubs around the world cater specifically to the lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, questioning and ally community. In Part 1 of our Pride special, we introduce you to DC Strokes Rowing Club’s long-time member and coach Lis Fondreist, and president of the Melbourne Argonauts Queer Rowing Club, Josh Lipscombe. They talk with us about rowing and the gay rights movement in the 1990s, safe spaces, and why this part of the diversity issue is still relevant today.
Listen to Part 2 of our Pride month special – a chat with LGBTQ+ club Chicago Rowing Union's Michael Toutloff
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Podcast lead-in02:05 - Rachel and Tara pre-show banter13:29 - Welcome11:40 - Team Huddle with Lis and Josh15:25 - (Not So) Rapid Fire Q&A21:29 - Josh was one of the “weird” kids who wasn’t good at other sports, until he found rowing22:58 - Lis was tempted into rowing while watching West Point cadets racing in a regatta27:12 - The “why” behind a commitment to rowing29:39 - The rowing and LGBT scene in Melbourne32:36 - Founded in 1991 and 2001 respectively, DC Strokes and Melbourne Argonauts are safe community spaces AND make waves in their rowing communities40:23 - Gender inclusion policies46:27 - Pride activities and participation50:55 - The importance of LGBT rowing clubs as safe spaces54:08 - DEI and building an atmosphere of inclusion56:48 - The year to come1:02:27 - After the show
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To see photos of Lis, Josh, and their clubs, and to get links to the people, policies, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons.
 

S4E10 - Rebekah Armstrong on Getting and Giving Support

Washington, DC’s two rivers – the Potomac and the Anacostia – haven’t been swimmable in decades and folks that live in the nation’s capital often have no relationship with the rivers. But when one of Rebekah Armstrong’s teachers suggested she join Capital Juniors rowing, she found a sport she loved wrapped up in just the right package of diversity and scrappiness.
The influence of a great coach prompted Rebekah to check out the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she walked on to the women’s crew. Having come from a diverse life and team in D.C., the transition to Wisco was challenging – Rebekah at one point was one of just ten Black female athletes on campus.
Rebekah opens up about the (slowly) changing face of rowing in the United States, finding mentors and support, and her drive to help BIPOC athletes as a certified mental performance consultant.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - podcast lead-in02:17 - Team Huddle: Rebekah Armstrong’s bio in 60 seconds03:17 - Icebreaker: Washington, D.C., Capital Rowing Club, and USRowing DEI Associate Jess Jackson05:17 - Rapid Fire Q&A09:12 - Pre 2k snacks and the mental prep for erg tests11:35 - Learning to row with Capital Juniors and the influence of a great coach on her decision to row in college15:15 - The cognitive dissonance of rowing at the Anacostia Community Boathouse19:35 - Being a “shrimp” and walking on at Wisco22:27 - Finding balance as a student athlete, prioritizing athletic success over identity26:50 - Gaining a mentor and being empowered as a member of Student Athletes Equally Supporting Others30:31 - Support and inspiration at the U23 selection camp in Charlottesville, VA34:39 - Post-graduation coaching at Wisco, collegiate burnout and what happens next?38:53 - Nervous about the transition to masters rowing, Rebekah found welcoming teammates and fun on the water at Lincoln Park Boat Club in Chicago41:19 - What it meant to row in the first all Black Women’s 8 at Head of the Charles44:31 - Landing in Chicago as the Program Director at Chicago Training Center, and pursuing dual masters degrees as a licensed counselor and a certified mental performance consultant48:20 - Increased visibility of DEI work in recent years
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To see photos of Rebekah Armstrong, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons.
 

S4E9 - Coach Ann Strayer on Inclusion and Self-Worth in Rowing

This is the second episode in a special series on gender identity policies in rowing. We’re getting to know some of the people behind initiatives challenging the notion of fairness and inclusion in our sport.
Since December 2022, World Athletics, World Rowing, USRowing and other national governing bodies, have announced updated gender identity policies. The Biden administration is proposing changes to Title IX. In response, voices across the rowing community have stood up for "fairness for women" and alternatively "inclusion for marginalized athletes." We're taking a closer look.
Ann Strayer, OLY, was a self-described "natural" in a single in high school. She quickly earned a seat on the 1978 Junior National Team, and went on to row at Princeton 1978 to 1982. While at university she made her first National Team in 1981, followed by five more teams in the 1980s, culminating in a spot on the 1988 Olympic squad.
Today, Strayer is the Varsity Women’s Coach at Oakland United Rowing in Oakland, CA. In response to the ICONS petition seeking to define "eligibility for the women’s/girl’s categories to participants born female," Strayer and fellow OUR coach and Olympian Erin Cafaro have written a letter in support of USRowing's gender identity policy. They, along with 50+ Olympians and coaches who have signed the letter, strongly believe that the most important thing for scholastic transgender and non-binary athletes is to welcome them into boathouses, and allow them to row as the gender with which they identify.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Rachel and Tara talk gender identity policies, the ICONS petition fighting for fairness for females, and the letter that Strayer and Erin Cafaro have written in support of gender inclusive policies.
08:15 - Team Huddle: Coach Strayer's bio in 45 seconds 
09:10 - Rapid Fire Q&A
12:40 - Growing up in Cape Cod, MA: sailboats, softball, and basketball. Being a “natural” rower in high school and making the Junior National team.
14:40 - Early post-Title IX experience at Phillips Academy, and how it was different at Princeton
19:10 - Balancing Olympic dreams and rowing for Princeton under Coach Kris Korzeniowksi
23:45 - The transition from coxed quad to straight quad
25:48 - On USRowing’s gender identity policy, Strayer’s own experience coaching trans kids, and the letter of support she and Erin Cafaro penned
32:27 – Contemporary perspective on gender, and why trans women should row in the women’s category
36:10 – Coaching with Erin Cafaro and the search for a media distribution of their letter
43:33 - Strayer's personal experience in the 1980s lining up against Russian, Romanian, and German squads that were doping
47:37 - Early days of coaching in Boston, and getting back into it decades later in California
52:25 - Coaching as a volunteer for OUR out of a passion for the sport
55:07 – A vision for the future of rowing
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To see photos of Coach Ann Strayer, and get links to the people, clubs, events, and policies mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, and our Patrons.
 

S4E8 - Dr. Mary O’Connor: Fighting to Save Women’s Rowing

This is the first episode in a special series on gender policies in rowing. We’ll get to know some of the people behind initiatives challenging the notion of fairness and inclusion in our sport.
Since December 2022, World Athletics, World Rowing, and USRowing (and other national governing bodies) have announced updated gender identity policies. The Biden administration is proposing changes to Title IX. In response, voices across the rowing community have stood up for "fairness for women" and alternatively "inclusion for marginalized athletes." So, we wanted to take a closer look.
Dr. Mary O’Connor, OLY, was a member of the 1976 Yale women’s rowing program that sparked big changes following the passage of Title IX. She went on to become a member of the 1980 U.S Olympic team, an orthopedic surgeon, and a nationally recognized leader for health equity.
Today, Dr. O’Connor is a member of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports – a network and advocacy group “seeking to elevate and empower female athletes by protecting safety, fairness, and opportunity for girls and women.”
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Introduction03:10 - Hosts Tara and Rachel talk USRowing gender identity policies and the issue of non-binary inclusion in rowing11:10 - Welcome to Dr. Mary O’Connor12:20 - Rapid Fire Q&A13:50 - Growing up in PA, walking on to the Yale crew, finding role models in teammates Chris Ernst and Anne Warner16:10 - Yale crew early success and stand-outs > the famous Title IX protest > involvement in women’s rights and equity19:55 - Early personal and program goals at Yale?21:00 - Current involvement with the rowing community: rowing parent and ICONS > importance of being able to compete and excel to professional careers26:12 - ICONS mission and leadership28:20 - Title IX, USRowing policy, fairness and competition31:39 - How the rowing pipeline is affected by current policies; sex differences and physiologic advantages, changing categories to Open and female-only34:14 - Working nationally and internationally to uphold the issue of fairness and protecting the female category38:04 - How much are trans and non-binary athletes affecting fairness for females at the collegiate level?40:14 - Change in public perception/acceptance of trans/non-binary > gender affirming care44:48 - ICONS petition seeks to create categories for competition to promote fairness51:35 - How will ICONS know when it has succeeded?50:20 - Mary’s experience  at the ‘79 World Camps placing 3rd behind Russians and East Germans who had all been doping on testosterone
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To see photos of the Dr. Nary O'Connor, and get links to the people, and policies mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, and our Patrons.