Almost a year ago, September 25, 2017, I raced 5.5 miles with Whatcom Rowing Association in the Salmon Roe on Lake Samish, WA. I was stroke seat in a women’s 8. Our coxswain was a young lady from WWU, who had only a few months before cox’d her womens 8 to a NCAA Division II Championship Gold Medal. She was amazing. We had a great row, navigated the lake and made our turns, and came in first for the 8’s (we beat the juniors – that was fun).
Tonight I have my bag packed to go to Seattle bright and early (5:30am ferry from Clinton) to race in the Seattle Row for the Cure on Lake Union. Weather permitting (thunderstorms are forecast), I will be one of four women from the Women’s C+ team racing with four men from the Ancient Mariners. I will be stroke seat again and we will be racing 5800m around Lake Union. We have all fundraised to support research for a cure for breast cancer, and to provide funds for women to get mammograms. We will be sporting as much pink as possible in our boats!
It doesn’t seem like much has changed since last year except the uniform, and the location. But in reality it has been an amazing year. Since that race on Lake Samish I have taken sculling lessons, acquired an amazing new racing single (thank you Fluidesign!), joined Pocock Rowing Center in Seattle, trained and raced with the Mixed Masters Team, the Womens C+ team, and the Masters Sculling Team, become a JLRacing Ambassador, guest rowed in Arizona and Colorado, raced in Canada and California, and won a few medals, including a bronze at both Northwest Regional Masters Championships and Masters National Championships. In one week I head to Sarasota, Florida to race at FISA World Rowing Masters Regatta, and three weeks after that leave for Boston to race at the Head of the Charles Regatta. Some of this has been terrifying, some has been frustrating, but all has been exciting, challenging, an education, and definitely outside my comfort zone. So if you want to know what it’s like not just to step… but to live outside your comfort zone, join me and hang on tight. It’s a wild ride.