MEET: Ken Gates & John Cullicott CLUB: TexasRowingCenter.org HOST: Napoleon Griffin Ken Gates has won nine (9) CRASH-B hammers, set two world records on the RowErg and won a couple Masters Nationals singles titles, about racing, training and maintaining fitness while aging. John has raced for over 40 years at the High School, College, Elite, and Masters levels. He spent seven years as a sweep lightweight before converting to a sculling heavyweight. As an elite, he won nationals in all four s...
Nov 06, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 42
From the Ukrainian women's crew Anastaia Kozhenkova, Katarina Maistrenko, and Yevghenia Dovhodko talk to host Napoleon Greiffin about their training in Kyiv and WSU, and their experience in the US. They rowed on Sunday, Nov. 20.
Nov 06, 2024•23 min•Season 5Ep. 41
Bak, Choi, Rogers - Transcript 2023 Won COPA America Mixed 4x 2022 Bronze at Beach Sprint Worlds for Mixed 4x 2021 Tokyo Paralympic PR3 Mixed 4+ Alternate Chris Bak 2021 Portugal-1x 8th BS 2022 wales 1x gold 4x bronze BS 2023 Barletta- 1x 8th BS 1x silver ENDURO 2x gold ENDURO 2024 Genoa- 1x gold Kory Rogers 4x coastal national team 2x world champion, youngest in 2023 senior level worlds 1x bronze medalist Bali continental qualifier USOPC (Olympic committee event) Host, Napoleon Griffin : Alrigh...
Nov 03, 2024•17 min•Season 5Ep. 40
Alex Lynn, Youth Recreational Rowing Manager at Community Rowing Ellis Evans-Brown, Head Coach at Arlington-Belmont high school crew What is unique about rowing among all the available youth sports; when is it the right choice for young athletes? What does rowing do for kids as they grow into adulthood and prepare for college and vocations? In this episode, c oaches Alex & Ellis examine the characteristics of effective youth rowing programs. They cover topics ranging from safety and motivati...
Dec 08, 2023•34 min•Season 5Ep. 39
It was 50 years ago today - Peter Kermond started rowing at Belmont Hill prep school, directly across from the site of our interview near Eliot Bridge on the Charles River in Boston. Peter is a beloved legend in rowing - making the US National Team and eventually acquiring Burnham Boat Slings, maker of the slings that rowers rack their boats on at regattas. Now, Burnham's flagship products are their custom made boat covers, and they've added on many other types of rowing accessories, from oar ba...
Nov 02, 2023•18 min•Season 5Ep. 29
We came back a week after the Head of the Charles for a recap – because we couldn’t get enough of this magical world-renowned rowing regatta. We love mingling with the crowd, the thrill of the racing, checking out new gadgets & gear, connecting with old friends, and making new ones. On today’s Head of the Charles panel: Linda Muri of Burnham Boat Slings; Maurice Scott of Unity & Potomac BC & USRowing announcer; Andrii Ivanchuk , coach at Simmons University Crew & Riverside Boat C...
Nov 02, 2023•26 min•Season 5Ep. 28
We're catching up with the whirlwind that is Arshay Cooper! You're invited to join the livestream to ask questions and share your experiences with Arshay - just comment on the discussion thread at any of the replay destinations. Besides being a rower, Arshay is a Benjamin Franklin award-winning author, the protagonist of the critically acclaimed film “A Most Beautiful Thing,” nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2020. He's also a Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport of rowing...
Sep 20, 2023•28 min•Season 5Ep. 27
Full show notes on the website Heading to any of the Great American Head Race Regattas this fall? Tune in to get inspired with legendary Olympic rower & coach Jim Dietz and coach Mark Wilson, co-founders at All American Rowing Camp based in DeLand, Florida. We’re revisiting our annual fall regatta (aka head race) preview a little earlier this year to give you a “heads” up! Every year, longtime coaches Jim Dietz and Mark Wilson return to Ready, Row! USA to reveal secret strategies, tell fun s...
Aug 22, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 26
You may be wondering, if you're middle-aged or beyond and never rowed before, can you still take up the sport? Many of us row with folks in their 60's, 70's, and 80's who started rowing relatively late in life. If you've got a few "creaky parts," many clubs have adaptive classes and equipment, and the sport has a culture of rowers helping rowers. Boston-area Coach Brian DiDominici talked with host Diane Bevan, who learned to row "at a certain age" at Community Rowing, Boston. Get your questions ...
Jun 04, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 25
The target Lara's dad set when he was younger was “Aim High”. Don’t look left or right - FOCUS - and aim high. And boy, did she! Lara Vafiadis took on the Atlantic Challenge row for a few reasons - but a primary aim was to inspire other women and children that if you set your mind to something, you can achieve anything. Seeing her dad suffer through years of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and everything that goes with cancer treatments - his determination and resilience took on another level and Lar...
Apr 22, 2023•46 min•Season 5Ep. 24
You have questions about rowing in college. Nobody can guarantee admission, but the high school athlete can learn how to put their best foot forward, formulate a plan, and find a school that fits academically, athletically, and socially. Want to be recruited to row in college? Where do I start getting recruited to row in college? When - and how - do I contact coaches? Why aren’t coaches getting back to me? Wondering what college coaches expect from potential recruits? How can parents support the...
Mar 21, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 23
USRowCon23 Series What does "community engagement" mean for a sports governing body, and how does it impact the individual members, boathouses, elite & recreational athletes that make up its consituency? How has this program area evolved at USRowing? We'll talk to Jennie Trayes her new role as Chief Community Engagement Officer for USRowing. She oversees the organization's domestic community programming including STEM to Stern, DEI, Adaptive and Veterans rowing. A graduate of Bucknell Univer...
Mar 14, 2023•24 min•Season 5Ep. 22
We met Dr. Ramona Cox at the USRowing Convention, Feb. 3-5 in Atlantic City, where she presented on athlete & coach wellness best practices & sports-based therapy. The Doc Wayne organization aims to "level the playing field of mental health globally by harnessing the power of sport-based therapy." In 2021, Dr. Cox joined Doc Wayne as the Director of the Champions Network, the organization's external training program. CN partners with a range of organizations, clinicians, sports coaches, ...
Feb 24, 2023•28 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Not only is he a rowing coach, but Don Ukrainec recently acquired H2Row and presented his lineup of swappable shoes and rowing supplies at the USRowing Convention. As someone who's often jumped in an 8+ to find size 14 shoes from the previous crew of large men, I appreciate the range of H2Row sizes (mens 6-16 and women's to size 12), the ease of swapping, and the superbly comfortable fit. Did we pick up some shoes from H2Row at the USRowing Convention? Why yes, we did! Thanks, Don! Many thanks t...
Feb 11, 2023•14 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Coming off 20+ years with the Coast Guard and involved in many water rescues, Tom Rooks has recently assumed the position as Director of Safety at USRowing. During our interview with him at the USRowing Convention 2023, Tom made our producer a believer in PFDs, especially for single scullers in the "shoulder" seasons in the northern latitudes. To be continued - post your comments & questions for Tom on our YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn YouTube livestream replay discussion sections. ++++ Ma...
Feb 11, 2023•20 min•Season 5Ep. 22
In this USRowing Convention interview (thanks to Linda Muri for wrangling him from the erg championship floor!) Josh Carlson made us a believer in the value of cross-training for rowing with the Ski-Erg, a popular, relatively new product by Concept 2, manufacturer of the ubiquitous RowErg. "SkiErg is great for working on lats, and just giving rowers a break from the rowing machine for pretty much the same type of workout," Josh said. Now I have to figure out how to sneak one in the house! Many t...
Feb 11, 2023•14 min•Season 5Ep. 16
At the USRowing Convention, USRowing HP Para Director Ellen Minzner steered us to Emilie Eldracher, coxswain for the PR3 4+ 2022 World Championships. We had a great discussion about the elite Paralympic world. She welcomes questions & comments - post them on our YouTube channel, Facebook, or LinkedIn livestream replay destinations - our website has all the links. Many thanks to our fabulous sponsors: Burnham Boat Slings - mention the podcast at a regatta for some Burnham swag! Resolute Racin...
Feb 11, 2023•11 min•Season 5Ep. 15
To meet SimulatOar inventor Calvin Coffey is to appreciate his creativity, drive, and his love of life & rowing. Our USRowing Convention interviews continued on Sunday, Feb. 5 with Coffey and his wife, Maggie. Calvin competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics, where he and his partner Mike Staines won the silver medal in the coxless pairs event. A few years later, after a devastating car accident, he invented the rowing simulation machine, SimulatOar ( best product name ever! ). He also made CTC r...
Feb 11, 2023•28 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Ready, Row! USA was thrilled to be the media partner of USRowing for the first in-person convention since 2019. In particular, we'd like to thank the creative, positive, indefatigable, and ever-attentive Brett Gorman for connecting us with so many amazing people in rowing. Oh, the rowing stories we heard! from rowing's movers & shakers & regular folks, like Janice Holzman , Row New York; Calvin Coffey , Olympic athlete & Coffey SimulatOar inventor; Josh Carlson , Concept 2 SkiErg spe...
Feb 11, 2023•13 min•Season 5Ep. 21
One of our favorite discussions at the recent USRowing Convention was with Ted Benford, executive director of Community Rowing, arguably the largest rowing club in the world, depending on how you're counting - Members? Rowing hours? Number of boats?. Ted started at CRI more than 25 years ago as a volunteer and coach and went on to serve as president of the board and as a trustee. In May of 2016, Ted was hired as Director of Operations and served as Interim Executive Director until his selection ...
Feb 10, 2023•22 min•Season 5Ep. 13
To be honest, he was a moving target at USRowing Convention, between attending sessions and announcing for the National Indoor Championships, but we finally caught up with Aquil Abdullah, truly a mover & shaker in the sport of rowing. Among other things, we learned that after "winding down" from the Olympic experience, Aquil was settling into a career in high tech when he was drawn back into the rowing world by taking a job as a Hydrow athlete; an invitation to become a Henley Royal Regatta ...
Feb 10, 2023•20 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Boathouse fundraising got you flummoxed? Fear not - we caught up with Row New York 's Janice Holzman between sessions at USRowing Convention 2023. She gave us a new perspective on an element essential to the operation of many boathouses. As a non-profit sector senior executive with 20+ years of fundraising, communications, partnership building and political advocacy experience, Janice serves as the Vice President of Development & Communications for Row New York, an organization that, through...
Feb 10, 2023•20 min•Season 5Ep. 11
" A Long Talk " founders Kyle Williams, Chief Empowerment Officer, and Kamal Carter, President, call themselves "just a couple of black fathers." Since starting the ALT movement in 2020, they have worked with rowing programs across the country including Washington, Columbia, and Three Rivers, as well as Fortune 500 corporations and leading universities. Along with their colleague Matt Logue, their lunchtime keynote at USRowing Convention helped us reflect and understand systemic oppression and d...
Feb 09, 2023•15 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Live from USRowing Convention 2023, we talked with Holly Austin, founder & head coach at Ready Set Row. Holly explains the approach of RSR: "In expanding your comfort zone, you and are able to push a little harder with each effort. In order to reach your full potential, you must learn how to be more brave to take risks, and to face fear. As well, you must learn self-compassion to manage challenges, failure and defeat."' Image credit: Brave Your Fear podcast Many thanks to our fabulous sponso...
Feb 08, 2023•26 min•Season 5Ep. 9
John Gartin is Director of the Collegiate Rowers & Coaches Assn., Former Head Coach Nova Southeastern Women's Rowing, also coached at Oklahoma, Dallas United, and San Diego Rowing Club. Many thanks to our fabulous sponsors: Burnham Boat Slings - mention the podcast at a regatta for some Burnham swag! Resolute Racing & Sykes USA - our producer rows a LW Sykes - try it out on the Charles River! GoodInklings Web Design & Management - mention the podcast for a free website audit! Pierce ...
Feb 08, 2023•26 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Interview with Fabio Selvig, Filippi Director of Marketing Filippi is a primary sponsor of USRowing Convention 2023 Filippi Boats (Cantiere Navale Filippi Lido S.R.L.) is an International manufacturer of rowing racing shells, based in Italy. The company was founded in 1980 by Lido Filippi. Today, the running of the boatyard is undertaken by Lido Filippi’s son David; the yard employs 60 technicians and produces just over 1100 boats each year, which supply Federations worldwide. Approximately 70% ...
Feb 08, 2023•19 min•Season 5Ep. 7
776BC Performance Apparel's Dave Powers started rowing in college at Boston University and has had a career spanning 35+ years in the sporting goods industry with a focus on sales, marketing and account management. Starting his career in 1989 as the National Sales Manager for Saucony Running shoes based in Peabody, MA., he eventually moved to Germany to take the role as International Sales Manager where he was responsible for the growth of Sauconys European business. After 17 years, he transitio...
Feb 08, 2023•19 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Meet 20-year-old Jalen Baldwin, SteadyState Network Changemaker Scholarship Winner to the USRowing Convention & Coach at the Cleveland Foundry Jrs. , Cleveland, OH. One of our favorite interviews - Jalen shines! Many thanks to our fabulous sponsors: Burnham Boat Slings - mention the podcast at a regatta for some Burnham swag! Resolute Racing & Sykes USA - our producer rows a LW Sykes - try it out on the Charles River! GoodInklings Web Design & Management - mention the podcast for a f...
Feb 08, 2023•18 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Rick Bayko is the new US Indoor LW Champion for ages 75+. A member of Community Rowing Boston Military & Veterans Crew, RIck trains consistently throughout the winter and enjoys competing all over the US and the world. He's recently taken up sculling, as well. RIck will claim that he was the only lightweight entered in the national competition this year, but we pointed out that "you beat the millions who didn't show up." Rick's won his share of competitions and has run 13 marathons. Many tha...
Feb 07, 2023•15 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Our livestreaming on Feb. 4 at #RowCon23 started out with Sandra Cardillo, Director of Rowing and Head Coach at Watuppa Rowing Center in New Bedford, MA. We first met Sandra through her work with the CRI Para and Military & Veterans programs. Find the full schedule of USRowing Convention coverage on the website . We'll be adding links & updates from guests like Sandra, CRI executive director Ted Benford; Olympic & Hydrow athelte Aquil Abdullah,; 3-time Olympian Mary Whipple of 9th Se...
Feb 07, 2023•18 min•Season 5Ep. 3
