Holding an old canister in his hands, rower and documentary film producer Lenny O’Donnell’s heart skipped a beat. “Berlin 1936,” read the note on an old piece of athletic tape stuck to its lid. After years in storage, unseen for several decades, Lenny was entrusted to restore and digitize the film, along with boxes of other historic photos, film, and ephemera documenting the University of Washington crew.

Get your toes in the sand and surf with coastal rowing! Leave notions of perfect strokes behind and embrace what the ocean brings you. Team USA coastal and beach sprints head coach Marc Oria, and rower Pearl Outlaw – stroke of the first ever pararowing women’s quad – help us bring these disciplines into the conversation about the future of rowing.

Head of the Charles Announcing Committee co-chair, USRowing Para High Performance Director, and Massachusetts native Ellen Minzner. From walk on at Villanova 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. She also gives a peek behind the curtains at the world’s premier annual rowing competition - the Head of the Charles - from her vantage point in the announcers booth on top of Cambridge Boat Club.

“Physical limitations only exist if you’re willing to find them.” That’s the philosophy of Mitch King, 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, developing a coxing style, team building, motivation on the erg, and shattering expectations.

When Sophie Brown wanted to learn to row, a coach asked her “Why would you do this if you are disabled?” Her reply: “Why not?” More than a decade later, a drive to find the perfect stroke has brought her two Henley wins. She’ll be checking off a bucket list item when she crosses the pond to race a PR2 mixed double at the 2022 Head of the Charles.

This wide-ranging conversation with Coach Tom Rooks is funny and philosophical. Learn about creating positive team culture, mentoring new coaches, the importance of vulnerability, handling anxiety, preparing for emergencies, and hear how the 2k erg test has become Tom’s measuring stick for all life’s challenges.

Brook Yimer started coaching as a volunteer in high school. Just six years later he's the program coordinator for Stem to Stern and coaches for three different programs. He honed leadership skills as a scholastic rower in high school and college, which today is clearly articulated by his advocacy for – and involvement in – community service.

The aches of a teenage growth-spurt, years of collegiate and high performance training and racing, and injuries sustained in an accident, all inform Lisa Lowe’s personal and professional attitudes and opinions about self-care and injury management.

In 2016, Steven Dowd suffered a devastating spinal cord injury. With an exceptional personal will and the support of family and friends, Steven today is not only walking, but rowing. We sat down to talk about his journey and motivation, and the EnduRow Challenge, a charity event he launched in 2021.