Sue and John Hooten's Mutual Admiration Society
Sue Hooten, member of the first U.S. women’s Olympic rowing team, on the day she married Vesper and National Team coach John Hooten.
This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, Live2Row Studios, EB5 Investors, RowSource, and our Patrons.
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:
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
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode lead-in
01:57 - The Huddle: Get to know Sue
05:55 - Sue’s Rowing Week… could have been better: arthritis & cataracts
06:37 - Hot Seat Q&A
11:20 - Sue’s rowing story began as walk on at UC Santa Barbara
14:29 - Meeting Coach Harry Parker and moving to Boston for National Team selection camp
18:47 - Coach Ted Nash paired Sue with Laura (Staines) Giardano for the 2x
22:27 - Meeting Vesper coach John Hooten
24:36 - About John and his unconventional way of looking at things
29:37 - John’s return to rowing in 2016
31:14 - March 5, 2018: The day John didn’t make it back to the dock
33:20 - Looking back at warning signs
35:57 - Could a life jacket have helped John?
38:21 - Staying connected with friends after John’s death
39:23 - 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
EPISODE Mentions
CLUBS
1980 Rowing Club
College Boat Club
Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club
Lake Merritt Rowing Club
Long Beach Rowing Association
Marin Rowing Association
Masters International
Motley Crew
Redwood Scullers
Sacramento State Aquatic Center
Vesper Boat Club
ZLAC Rowing Club
COACHES
Gus Constant
Mike Davenport
John Hooten
Ted Nash
Harry Parker
Dietrich Rose
EQUIPMENT
Automatic inflatable PFD
Munual inflatable belt pack PFD
Stampfli
REGATTAS
Head of the Charles
River City Rebellion
Southwest Regionals
USRowing Masters Nationals
World Rowing Championships
RESOURCES
American RedCross CPR certification
American RedCross First Aid certification
American Red Cross AED certification
The Nuts and Boats Guide to Rigging
US Coastguard Boating Safety Course
USRowing Safety Audit Checklist
USRowing Safety Guidelines
ROWERS
Dick Dreissigacker 🎧
Judy Geer 🎧
Jackie Snyder
John Stroud
UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
Cal Berkeley
Harvard University
Radcliffe
Sacramento State University
UC Santa Barbara
USROWING
National Team
Tom Rooks 🎧
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.