Steady State Podcast

Ever dreamed of rowing on the Nile? Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? Competing in the World Rowing Indoor Championship?

Egyptian Nermine Khenefar found rowing in her 40s when, winded on her ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro, friend and explorer Omar Samra suggested she take up the sport to increase her aerobic capacity. After just a few years, Nermine is an avid masters rower and indoor rowing competitor who is seeking to row everywhere she travels and welcome visitors to row with her on the Nile in Cairo.

EPISODE QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Episode intro

.

To see photos of Nermine, 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, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @steadystatenetwork

Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. is one of the jewels in the rowing crown. In our annual homage to this mega rowing event, we meet the leadership that makes it happen – new HOCR Executive Director Tori Stevens, and Director of Racing Brendan Mulvey.

We find out their personal stories of involvement in sport, and what about this regatta attracts 12,000 athletes and a few hundred thousand spectators each year to the waters and banks of the Charles River.

EPISODE QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Intro

1:26 - Rachel and Tara talk personal HOCR histories

4:40 - Welcome to Tori Stevens and Brendan Mulvey

5:40 - Rowing Week on a scale of 1 to 10

07:02 - Brendan's rowing origin story

08:05 - Tori’s life has always been infused with sport, including spectating HOCR as a college student

10:45 - HOCR is about racing, as well as community, tradition, reunion, and celebration

12:25 - What makes HOCR so unique?

14:50 - The importance of volunteers, from local regattas to HOCR’s 2000+ volunteer crew

19:45 - Tori’s onboaring as HOCR Executive Director, and continuing Fred Schoch’s legacy of balancing innovation, growth, and tradition

23:06 - Finding a new audience for HOCR using storytelling, the media, and technology to showcase rowing and help increase engagement and understanding for spectators

27:57 - Survivor Rowing Network and the exhibition Survivor Row

28:50 - Creating an inclusive envionment

30:38 - What’s not to be missed at HOCR: everything *else* to do at HOCR 

33:52 - Getting Boston, and spectators, prepared for race weekend

35:54 - Brendan’s Race Director tip for all crews

.

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, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @steadystatenetwork

Kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Beth Kohl, the President of Rowing Cares and Founder and Executive Director of Survivor Rowing Network; and rower, survivor and Pink Ribbon Row Seattle organizer Angie Gabel.

The Survivor Rowing Network is on a mission to create more opportunities for cancer survivors to row. Since launching in 2023, SRN has grown to 27 survivor rowing programs. This year, for the first time ever, the Head of the Charles regatta will host a Survivor Rowing Network event, featuring 11 women’s 8s, all of them breast cancer survivors!

EPISODE QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Intro

.

To see photos of the Beth and Angie, 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, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

.

Follow us on FB and IG at @steadystatenetwork

Once upon a time, way back in 2020, we thought of rowing in a very particular way: flat water, racing shells, and seeking the perfect stroke. As coastal rowing and beach sprints has gained some traction here in the U.S., we’ve broadened our understanding and definition of rowing to bring these disciplines into the conversation, too. 

On balance, coastal has probably tipped the scales of our conversation in 2024 as we trained for and participated in Race Around the Rock a coastal circumnavigation of Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. If you’re a tried and true flat water rower, thanks for exploring these new ideas about rowing right along with us!

In case you missed it, the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals were held September 13-15 in Genoa, Italy and Team USA brought home 3 Gold and 1 Silver medal.

Joining us to talk about the rise of coastal rowing and beach sprints are Team USA head coach Marc Oria, and rower Pearl Outlaw, a member of the first ever pararowing women’s quad.

02:10 - The Huddle

45:54 - Opportunities to get involved in coastal are sparse, but growing, in the U.S.

.

To see photos of the Marc and Pearl, 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, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

.

Follow us on FB and IG at @steadystatenetwork

After six months of training, Steady State Network’s Allies with Oars’ first coastal – and first international – race is a wrap! Two Allies With Oars mixed 4x+ crews spent the better part of Aug. 25, 2024 circumnavigating an 88k course around Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, for Race Around the Rock, hosted by Salt Spring Island Rowing Club. We got a little bit of everything: flat water, rolling waves, eddies, boat wakes, seals, massive jellyfish, excitement at the start line, confidence, pain cave suffering, and elation at the finish line.

Post-race, and with beverages in hand, the team sat down together to relive some highlights (and low lights) and share what made the experience so meaningful.

Thanks to all our family and friends for volunteering to lend a hand throughout race weekend. We couldn’t have made it around this rock without you.

Thanks to our race sponsors: JL Racing, Live2Row Studios, and Racing Hands.

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Episode Lead-In and Welcome

02:02 - Six months of training with Live2Row Studios

05:20 - Favorite part of the race

08:53 - Challenges of the race

14:45 - Imposter syndrome and getting hooked

16:36 - Race day success was only possible with a lot of help from teammates, friends, and family

20:55 - Race day firsts

22:25 - About the Allies with Oars initiative

26:25 - ”Thank yous”

28:46 - What’s up next for Allies?

.

To see photos of the Allies with Oars crew, 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 Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

.

Follow us on FB and IG at @steadystatenetwork

As part of our semi-regular club spotlight series, we cross the northern border into British Columbia, Canada to learn more about Salt Spring Island Rowing Club. Steady State Network's own Allies with Oars crews were just on the island for the Club's 88k coastal rowing regatta – Race Around the Rock. 

Meet Salt Spring Island Rowing Club head coach Stacey Mitchell, RAR race director Zoe Clark, and new(ish) master's sculler Michael Strumberger. Together they embody the enthusiasm, passion, and motivation necessary to build and sustain this small town rowing club.

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Episode Lead-In and Welcome

01:55 - The Huddle

03:37 - Rowing Week on a scale of 1-10

06:40 - The Hot Seat Q&A

11:22 - Stacy’s LTR story started with a swimming injury

14:24 - Michael’s “very casual relationship with fitness” shifted when he decided to try the gym erg

17:18 - Zoe’s rowing journey started with gnarly hands from hours on the monkey bars

20:02 - Why keep coming back to rowing?

26:59 - Salt Spring Rowing Club is small and growing!

32:22 - SSI members

34:08 - A rowing morning on St. Mary’s Lake starts with a quiet trip down a dirt road

37:20 - Race Around the Rock

49:50 - SSN's Allies with Oars: ruffling feathers to push the boundary of “mixed” lineups

.

To see photos of Stacy, Zoe, and Michael, 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 Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

.

Follow us on FB and IG at @steadystatenetwork

Inspired by his parents from an early age to work hard, Julien Bahain became a 3-time Olympian and an Olympic medalist. He’s been involved with rowing for 25 years, taking on multiple disciplines including flat water, coastal, and ocean rowing.

Over the years, his involvement in the sport has grown too, from organizing World Rowing Championships and helping establish OARCA, to founding West Coast Rowing Adventures with his wife Katie. Together their goal is to grow coastal rowing and share the beauty of British Columbia. 

QUICK LOOK

00:11 - Pre-Show Banter

.

To see photos of Julien, 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 Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was clear that the 2020 rowing season was in jeopardy, we started brainstorming. We were just two masters rowers and coaches who wanted to celebrate the expansive array of rowers, coaches, and coxswains and savor real-life experience from launch to cox seat at every level. 

We launched Steady State Network in September 2020 with one goal: reframe the popular, yet limited narrative about rowing culture by creating a more inclusive and better represented rowing community. 

On September 22, 2020 with very little audio production experience, but plenty of big ideas and lots of opinions, we dropped episode 1 of Steady State Podcast and wondered: will anyone notice? Will anyone listen?

Join us to look back – and ahead – as we celebrate our 100th episode! 

00:00 - Episode Intro 

Training and Racing

Coaching

Coxing

The Big Issues

The Perfect Stroke

.

To see photos of our guests, 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 Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

In 1984, Kris Thorsness brought home gold in the U.S. women’s 8+ from the Olympic Games Los Angeles. Home was Alaska, where she was welcomed with a parade and the distinction of being the first Alaskan to win an Olympic medal.

Today she says she’s “just a masters rower,” but 40 years after that gold medal Olympic performance, she’s also a USRowing Referee and is an Arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the U.S. and Paralympic Committee.

Before she heads off to Paris for the 2024 Olympics in her role as an Arbitrator, we talk with Kris about refereeing, which is often glossed over by rowers but is key to ensuring regattas are safe and effectively run, with a focus on sportsmanship.

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Welcome and Episode lead-In 

.

To see photos of Kris Thorsness, 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 Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.

Born and raised on Vashon Island, Washington, Jacob Plihal wasn’t super excited to start rowing (ugh, spandex!), but in 2012 a knee injury prompted him to give up his basketball dreams. With prodding from his physical therapist, and then motivated by friend, classmate and Jr. National Team rower Mia Croonquist, he climbed the ladder to Northeastern University team captain, then the U23 National team, and most recently was named to the 2024 U.S. Olympic team in the men’s single. At 6’10”, Jacob has a clear view of the world’s biggest rowing and athletic achievement: Paris 2024.

We really appreciated his honesty about working for over a decade through both success and disappointment. About turning down opportunities because funding wasn’t available. And about having to work around limited mobility in his knee. He credits sticking to the grind and figuring out what works (and what doesn’t) to being stubborn.

For all these reasons, we’re rooting for Vashon Island’s hometown kid this summer at the Olympic Games Paris.

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Episode Lead-In

.

To see photos of Jacob Plihal, 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 Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

.

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. 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.