2x the nerdy fun
rachel freedman
Rachel learned to row at age 23 in Washington, D.C., and despite being trapped in a coxswain-sized body, insisted on proving her worth as an oarsman. In time she came to understand the importance of the coxswain and embraced the role, steering for Capital Rowing Club and DC Strokes Rowing Club at local regattas, USRowing Masters National Championships, Head of the Charles, and the 2013 Out Games in Antwerp. As a USRowing Level II certified coach, she’s worked with high school and masters rowers, and developed winter training programs for sweep teams and unaffiliated scullers.
In 2014 she founded RowSource.com, a resource for masters rowers, and graphic design firm serving the needs of sport, health, and fitness organizations. In 2020 she established the Alliance of Women Rowing Coaches. For the past several years she has hosted the College Rowing 101 seminar at Erg Sprints.
When Rachel isn’t in a shell or a launch, you’ll find her swimming, cycling, hiking, stretching, rubbing her dogs’ bellies, and exploring parks in her camper. And more often than she’d like to admit, you can catch her eating fistfuls of peanut butter M&Ms.
Rachel’s 2 cents about Tara:
I’m excited to partner with Tara because she’s inquisitive. For her, it’s not just about being a good coach, it’s about understanding completely what that means. She’s constantly seeking to expand her coaching toolkit and help other coaches do the same. Tara’s curiosity is infectious and I’ve finally found someone I can talk to about everything from the Native American names for the rivers we row on, to gnawing on calluses after practice.
tara morgan
Tara learned to row as a teenager in Oak Ridge, TN in 1986, later coming back to the sport as a masters rower in Seattle, WA. For 10 years she was proud to be part of the long-standing women’s team Conibear Rowing Club. In 2018, she moved to Vashon Island, WA and, while she’s a team rower by preference, she’s learning to row the single in this new COVID world. She is a Level II USRowing coach and has eagerly taught Learn To Row for adults for over a decade. She is the founder of Seize The Oar Foundation, est. 2013, dedicated to inclusion in the sport of rowing.
She is best known for wearing many hats in her professional life, including making rowers from scratch and tossing around your traditional ideas of para-rowing, plus short film and animation production, essayist, and podcast production. She has been a guest on Strength Coach Roundtable with Will Ruth, Rowing Chat with Rebecca Caroe and Ready Row! USA with Charlotte Pierce.
She currently hosts her own weekly show The Morning Scramble and produces the interview show New Kids On The Rock on Voice of Vashon radio. With Steady State Network, she gets to finally marry her interests of talking nonstop about rowing and producing great media.
Tara’s 2 cents about Rachel:
Finding Rachel is like finding a great pair partner: You wobble around for a minute, maybe change the lineup a few times, but one day you just click. Rachel and I share a lot about what makes a great pair - a common goal, complementary strengths, humor and flexibility when we leave our lane, problem-solving teamwork to get across the line upright, and a willingness to compromise and not row it like a single. I know she’s a trusted teammate and friend in the Steady State Network venture.
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