I recently joined my local rowing club and decided to volunteer for National Learn to Row Day on June 4. The weather was lovely, the turnout was decent (about 40 people), and I enjoyed co-instructing and part-time rowing to help set up (i.e., keep balanced) the boat for the new rowers. But I'm not so sure that our club was prepared to provide access to all, which inspired me to share this experience and request your feedback.

As an African American rower who is…

Today after my evening rowing practice I was reminded of a book that has sat on my shelf, unread for about 5 years. The title is "We Are All Athletes: Bringing Courage, Confidence, and Peak Performance into Our Everyday Lives" by Mariah Burton Nelson.

On the cover, Mariah is quoted as follows: "Think of yourself as an athlete. I guarantee you it will change the way you walk, the way you work, and the decisions you make about leadership, teamwork, and success." And in the…

I am super excited about getting back into rowing this spring.  Last Wednesday, I signed up for a "guest row" at my local club.  As soon as we got the shells down to the docks, placed them in the water, and began to lock our oars into the oarlocks, lightning struck. I was so sad :( However, we quickly made good use of being at the boathouse at 5:30am by rowing on the indoor machines (ergometers, a.k.a. "ergs"). I wasn't half as shabby as I anticipated lol ;-)

Well, tonight I…