July 26, 2025

S6E15 - A Brain Injury, An Erg, and a Stubborn Will to Keep Going

41 minutes

Carolyn Webster-Stratton had been an active masters rower when she flipped over her handlebars while out for a bike ride in 2013. She can’t remember the first two weeks after the accident, but clearly remembers doctors painting a grim prognosis of her future with a traumatic brain injury. With a personal mantra of “keep going” and a dedication to recovery that includes daily long sessions on the erg, Carolyn returned to rowing in July 2025. After 12 years off the water, she's switched from sweep to sculling and is building new neural pathways.

GUEST

Carolyn Webster-Stratton

Founder, The Incredible Years

Professor Emeritus, University of Washington

Member, Vashon Rowing Club

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Episode intro

00:25 - Banter

02:25 - Rowing Week

03:45 - The Huddle

07:24 - Hot Seat Q&A

11:11 - Carolyn’s rowing origin story

13:58 - A bike accident, a brain injury, and stubbornly pushing (instead of resting) through recovery

22:54 - The best rowing advice Carolyn ever received

20:28 - The human brain, the simplicity of repetition on the erg, and dealing with feelings of inadequacies

when returning to the water

26:00 - Honoring where you’re at in rowing

33:00 - What the rowing life has given Carolyn

36:20 - Steady State Network news and notes

To see photos and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, iCrew, RowSource, and our Patrons.

Steady State Podcast is hosted and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering, books show guests, and is our sponsor and donor coordinator. Rachel writes our scripts and e-newsletter, and manages the website and social media. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.

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