Steady State Podcast

By Steady State NetworkSociety & Culture Sports Health & Fitness

Steady State Podcast episodes

May 13, 2023 S4E10 - Rebekah Armstrong on Getting and Giving Support
Washington, DC’s two rivers – the Potomac and the Anacostia – haven’t been swimmable in decades and folks that live in the nation’s capital often have no relationship with the rivers. But when one of Rebekah Armstrong’s teachers suggested she join Capital Juniors rowing, she found a sport she loved wrapped up in just the right package of diversity and scrappiness.
The influence of a great coach prompted Rebekah to check out the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she walked on to the women’s crew. Having come from a diverse life and team in D.C., the transition to Wisco was challenging – Rebekah at one point was one of just ten Black female athletes on campus.
Rebekah opens up about the (slowly) changing face of rowing in the United States, finding mentors and support, and her drive to help BIPOC athletes as a certified mental performance consultant.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - podcast lead-in
02:17 - Team Huddle: Rebekah Armstrong’s bio in 60 seconds
03:17 - Icebreaker: Washington, D.C., Capital Rowing Club, and USRowing DEI Associate Jess Jackson
05:17 - Rapid Fire Q&A
09:12 - Pre 2k snacks and the mental prep for erg tests
11:35 - Learning to row with Capital Juniors and the influence of a great coach on her decision to row in college
15:15 - The cognitive dissonance of rowing at the Anacostia Community Boathouse
19:35 - Being a “shrimp” and walking on at Wisco
22:27 - Finding balance as a student athlete, prioritizing athletic success over identity
26:50 - Gaining a mentor and being empowered as a member of Student Athletes Equally Supporting Others
30:31 - Support and inspiration at the U23 selection camp in Charlottesville, VA
34:39 - Post-graduation coaching at Wisco, collegiate burnout and what happens next?
38:53 - Nervous about the transition to masters rowing, Rebekah found welcoming teammates and fun on the water at Lincoln Park Boat Club in Chicago
41:19 - What it meant to row in the first all Black Women’s 8 at Head of the Charles
44:31 - Landing in Chicago as the Program Director at Chicago Training Center, and pursuing dual masters degrees as a licensed counselor and a certified mental performance consultant
48:20 - Increased visibility of DEI work in recent years
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To see photos of Rebekah Armstrong, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons.

57 min
April 29, 2023 S4E9 - Coach Ann Strayer on Inclusion and Self-Worth in Rowing
This is the second episode in a special series on gender identity policies in rowing. We’re getting to know some of the people behind initiatives challenging the notion of fairness and inclusion in our sport.
Since December 2022, World Athletics, World Rowing, USRowing and other national governing bodies, have announced updated gender identity policies. The Biden administration is proposing changes to Title IX. In response, voices across the rowing community have stood up for "fairness for women" and alternatively "inclusion for marginalized athletes." We're taking a closer look.
Ann Strayer, OLY, was a self-described "natural" in a single in high school. She quickly earned a seat on the 1978 Junior National Team, and went on to row at Princeton 1978 to 1982. While at university she made her first National Team in 1981, followed by five more teams in the 1980s, culminating in a spot on the 1988 Olympic squad.
Today, Strayer is the Varsity Women’s Coach at Oakland United Rowing in Oakland, CA. In response to the ICONS petition seeking to define "eligibility for the women’s/girl’s categories to participants born female," Strayer and fellow OUR coach and Olympian Erin Cafaro have written a letter in support of USRowing's gender identity policy. They, along with 50+ Olympians and coaches who have signed the letter, strongly believe that the most important thing for scholastic transgender and non-binary athletes is to welcome them into boathouses, and allow them to row as the gender with which they identify.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Rachel and Tara talk gender identity policies, the ICONS petition fighting for fairness for females, and the letter that Strayer and Erin Cafaro have written in support of gender inclusive policies.
08:15 - Team Huddle: Coach Strayer's bio in 45 seconds
09:10 - Rapid Fire Q&A
12:40 - Growing up in Cape Cod, MA: sailboats, softball, and basketball. Being a “natural” rower in high school and making the Junior National team.
14:40 - Early post-Title IX experience at Phillips Academy, and how it was different at Princeton
19:10 - Balancing Olympic dreams and rowing for Princeton under Coach Kris Korzeniowksi
23:45 - The transition from coxed quad to straight quad
25:48 - On USRowing’s gender identity policy, Strayer’s own experience coaching trans kids, and the letter of support she and Erin Cafaro penned
32:27 – Contemporary perspective on gender, and why trans women should row in the women’s category
36:10 – Coaching with Erin Cafaro and the search for a media distribution of their letter
43:33 - Strayer's personal experience in the 1980s lining up against Russian, Romanian, and German squads that were doping
47:37 - Early days of coaching in Boston, and getting back into it decades later in California
52:25 - Coaching as a volunteer for OUR out of a passion for the sport
55:07 – A vision for the future of rowing
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To see photos of Coach Ann Strayer, and get links to the people, clubs, events, and policies mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, and our Patrons.

1 hr 1 min
April 28, 2023 S4E8 - Dr. Mary O’Connor: Fighting to Save Women’s Rowing
This is the first episode in a special series on gender policies in rowing. We’ll get to know some of the people behind initiatives challenging the notion of fairness and inclusion in our sport.
Since December 2022, World Athletics, World Rowing, and USRowing (and other national governing bodies) have announced updated gender identity policies. The Biden administration is proposing changes to Title IX. In response, voices across the rowing community have stood up for "fairness for women" and alternatively "inclusion for marginalized athletes." So, we wanted to take a closer look.
Dr. Mary O’Connor, OLY, was a member of the 1976 Yale women’s rowing program that sparked big changes following the passage of Title IX. She went on to become a member of the 1980 U.S Olympic team, an orthopedic surgeon, and a nationally recognized leader for health equity.
Today, Dr. O’Connor is a member of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports – a network and advocacy group “seeking to elevate and empower female athletes by protecting safety, fairness, and opportunity for girls and women.”
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Introduction
03:10 - Hosts Tara and Rachel talk USRowing gender identity policies and the issue of non-binary inclusion in rowing
11:10 - Welcome to Dr. Mary O’Connor
12:20 - Rapid Fire Q&A
13:50 - Growing up in PA, walking on to the Yale crew, finding role models in teammates Chris Ernst and Anne Warner
16:10 - Yale crew early success and stand-outs > the famous Title IX protest > involvement in women’s rights and equity
19:55 - Early personal and program goals at Yale?
21:00 - Current involvement with the rowing community: rowing parent and ICONS > importance of being able to compete and excel to professional careers
26:12 - ICONS mission and leadership
28:20 - Title IX, USRowing policy, fairness and competition
31:39 - How the rowing pipeline is affected by current policies; sex differences and physiologic advantages, changing categories to Open and female-only
34:14 - Working nationally and internationally to uphold the issue of fairness and protecting the female category
38:04 - How much are trans and non-binary athletes affecting fairness for females at the collegiate level?
40:14 - Change in public perception/acceptance of trans/non-binary > gender affirming care
44:48 - ICONS petition seeks to create categories for competition to promote fairness
51:35 - How will ICONS know when it has succeeded?
50:20 - Mary’s experience at the ‘79 World Camps placing 3rd behind Russians and East Germans who had all been doping on testosterone
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To see photos of the Dr. Nary O'Connor, and get links to the people, and policies mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, and our Patrons.
1 hr 7 min
March 31, 2023 S4E7 - The Crew of San Diego Crew Classic
We head to California and go behind the scenes of the San Diego Crew Classic, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Crew Classic Executive Director Bobbie Smith – also a masters rowers and coach in San Diego – for the past year has been planning this event with Associate Director Megan Kalmoe. Megan, who is currently training for an historic fifth Olympic team, began her racing career at Crew Classic as a novice walk-on at the University of Washington. Coxswain and Head Beach Master Lex Switzer also joins the conversation about this West coast regatta that kicks off sprint season in the United States.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
01:44 - Episode lead-in
02:46 - Team Huddle: get to know Bobbie, Megan, and Lex
07:49 - Rapid Fire Q&A
17:00 - The guests reminisce about being college walk-ons
24:19 - For Bobbie and Megan, Crew Classic was their first 2k race
27:48 - Lex explains the diagonal line optical illusion that coxswains see on the Crew Classic course
30:30 - What first-timers can expect at Crew Classic
32:55 - Tara and Rachel’s Crew Classic memories, 2k vs 1k racing, and making use of a “flutter”
37:03 - Celebrating 50 years of Crew Classic and its evolution from collegiate only to today’s inclusion of youth, masters, and novices.
45:51 - The work behind the scenes to plan and host Crew Classic
50:04 - 50th Anniversary celebrations and special happenings
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To see photos of the Bobbie, Megan, and Lex, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode is made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, and our Patrons.
57 min
March 18, 2023 S4E6 - The Next Generation of Coaches: Inclusive, Supportive, and Motivated
We believe whole-heartedly in inclusion at all levels of rowing. That’s why we created the Steady State Network Changemaker Scholarship initiative, designed to help up-and-coming leaders of programs, clubs, and small businesses to get the knowledge and skills they need.
To support the development of these leaders in the rowing community, we provided scholarships to three deserving coaches to help them attend RowCon, USRowing’s Annual Convention, held In Atlantic City, NJ Feb. 3-5, 2023.
Thanks to Concept2, Rower’s Dream, and the support of our Steady State Patrons, whose financial support helped make these scholarships possible.
Our third-annual class of Changemaker Scholars to attend the USRowing Annual Convention is a young, diverse group of rowers, coxswains, and coaches, all in the early years of their coaching careers.
Today we’re talking with our 2023 Changemaker Scholarship recipients – Jalen Baldwin, Angelina Koch, and Faby Velazques – to find out what sort of ideas and information they picked up at the Convention, and what they’re exited to put into practice this season.
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
02:03 - Episode lead-in
03:23 - welcome
04:11 - Rowing Week 1-10
05:52 - Rapid Fire Q&A
08:16 - Team huddle: get to know the Changemakers
15:22 - The importance of coaching education, and what motivated each Changemaker to apply
20:35 - Big “aha” moments from RowCon2023
26:43 - Jalen’s Networking strategy and fundraising for Row, Sail, Dream
30:00 - Putting new coaching concepts into practice
36:49 - Coaching the whole athlete
39:09 - What would you give a TedTalk about
40:20 - Elevator pitches
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To see photos of the Changemakers, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode is sponsored by the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, and made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, and our Patrons.
47 min
March 05, 2023 S4E5 - RowAlong Founder John Steventon on Rowing, Rubbish, and Racing
The popularity of indoor rowing has exploded since the early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020. A whole new rowing community has come together around the erg, buoyed in large part by people who have never touched an oar.

On this episode we talk with John Steventon, a gold medal and world record holding indoor rower who made his way into the sport by way of squash and cycling. He started to make rowing workout videos while rehabbing from an injury during the pandemic lockdown, and today John’s RowAlong YouTube channel boasts nearly 17,000 subscribers and provides hundreds of indoor rowing workouts.
We had a long chat with John and most of it was too good to chop, so we hope you enjoy this extended episode, full of story telling and curiosity.
John explains: "I wanna’ be the rowing buddy talking rubbish to them while they're rowing. And of course I talk technique, but there doesn't need to be another Shane [Farmer of Dark Horse] or another Training Tall because they're really good at what they do. What I found is there was a tiny niche for some idiot Scotsman to fill and I filled it perfectly."
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
02:27 - Welcome, regatta t-shirts
07:45 - It’s a 10 out of 10 rowing week for John, who’s back on a “proper training for rowing program” after spending 8 months training for Hyrox
11:27 - Falling in and out of love with rowing; the lines between exercising, putting in effort, and performance training; and finding reasons to row
14:24 - Rapid Fire Q&A
15:13 - John tells a spirited tale of his transition from squash player, to cyclist, to indoor rowing enthusiast
23:42 - First impressions of the indoor rowing scene as someone without on-water experience
26:45 - Finding community with other indoor rowers; how COVID lockdown changed perspective on training on the erg; the recent implosion of indoor competitions in the UK; and the rise of a new class of indoor rowing machines
36:44 - How a kitchen knife accident helped John focus the development of RowAlong, find his niche, and help people have fun and get a good workout
45:28 - After creating 400 videos: a wide variety of content, packaging, green screen use, a vivid imagination, and “talking rubbish” are key
50:22 - Why John is evangelical about the rowing machine
55:50 - John admits he’s never rowed on the water, and we try to convince him to learn to sweep
58:17 - A RowAlong fan calls in to say thanks, and John comes to terms with being recognized as “RowAlong John” in public.
1:01:34 - A non-rower and jiu jitsu practitioner calls in to ask about optimal 60-minute pacing
1:08:10 The psychology of chasing and being chased while racing
1:14:45 - Looking ahead: John’s planning to make a big come back when he hits 50, using micro and macro goals
1:22:55 - bonus outtake
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To see photos of John, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode is made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, and our Patrons.
1 hr 24 min
February 19, 2023 S4E4 - Donna Pili Swings Late Nights at Her Bar and Early Mornings Practices
Donna Pili is a San Diego native whose childhood desire to play sports was restrained by the need to help her immigrant Filipino parents. She remembers watching rowing on TV during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t until nearly 30 years later, in an effort to retake control of her life, that she committed to learn to row. Since then, Donna’s found community at ZLAC and San Diego Rowing Club, and has traveled the world as a member of Endeavor Racing Alliance.
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Categories: culture, training
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QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Intro
02:10 - Rachel met Donna at SteeringUWright camp in Tempe; Lesleh Wright was Donna’s first coach at ZLAC
04:12 - Getting into a pair with a new partner, wet launches, and sharing the water with non-rowers
09:23 - Rapid Fire Q&A
10:55 - Watching the ‘84 Olympic rowing, not having time for sports as a kid, and committing to learning to row as an adult
17:20 - Opening a restaurant to honor her Dad
19:45 - Getting involved with Chinook Performance Racing and Endeavor Racing Alliance
24:19 - Coaches Lesleh Wright and Lindsay Dare Shoop give us the scoop on Donna
26:30 - Raising the bar for masters, and creating supportive environments for masters women
32:18 - Local, national, and international racing plans for 2023; being open to learning in any environment, in any boat, with rowers of all experience levels
36:43 - Considering the possibility of a perfect stroke
40:55 - Finding Karaoke in London between practices for Henley
47:59 - After the show …
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To see photos of Donna, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode is made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, and our Patrons.
54 min
February 04, 2023 S4E3 - The Freshman (Power) 15 with Corin Wiggins
On today’s show we’re talking with Corin Wiggins. You might remember that we interviewed her back in 2021 for our "next generation of coxswains" episode. At the time, 17 year old Corin was a member of the Atlanta Junior Rowing Association and already had four years of coxing experience. But what really caught our attention was her Instagram account - @TheBlackCoxswain - which she began in an effort to connect athletes of color in the rowing community. Two years later, she’s a recruited member of Hobart College men's crew, and has forged a community of thousands online and on the water, while finding her own coxing voice.
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CATEGORIES: Coxing, Culture
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QUICK LOOK:
00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Southern transplants to NY
05:55 - Learning coxing skills and confidence from coaches at AJRA, and developing the trust of her athletes
09:45 - Rapid Fire Q&A
14:15 - Getting on the water in winter
15:30 - From thinking of quitting to getting addicted to the multi-tasking challenge of coxing
17:55 - HS senior season in the 2V and transition to first year at Hobart College
20:44 - Winter training camp in FL, learning about practice management, and mentoring novice coxswains
26:15 - History of rowing at Hobart College goes back to 1860; alumni visit the crew
31:10 - Establishing @TheBlackCoxswain IG account, growing a community of thousands, and open the door for networking and recruiting opportunities
37:12 - The importance of mentors
40:47 - Corin’s idea of the perfect stroke begins and ends with rhythm
42:37 - This one time, at ODP HP camp: when everything went right
49:39 - bonus outtake
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To see photos of Corin, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode is made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, and our Patrons.
53 min
January 21, 2023 S4E2 - Jess Jackson Brings DEI Perspective to USRowing
A former D1 volleyball player with an M.S. in Sports Administration, Jess Jackson joined USRowing in 2022 as a DEI associate. She hasn't learned to row (yet), but swears by Orange Theory workouts which incorporate indoor rowing. She's honest about her first impressions of rowing as exclusive and white, proud of the steps USRowing is taking around diversity and equity, and hopeful that today's juniors are leading the way in inspiring change for the future of rowing.
We also talk in depth about USRowing’s RowCon2023, which is scheduled to take place two weeks after this episode launches.
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CATEGORIES: Coaching, Culture
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QUICK LOOK:
00:00 - Intro
02:00 - HOCR experience and thoughts on sync in the boat
03:45 - On a scale of 1-10, this week was an 8: travel, Orange Theory
05:14 - Growing up playing a variety of sports
08:00 - Title IX influence on all of us
11:15 - First impressions of rowing: exclusive and white
14:15 - Takeaways from HOCR
17:05 - Code switching, the challenges of overcoming the sport’s exclusive past, and today’s juniors leading the DEI charge
22:46 - Defining diversity, equity, and inclusion
25:08 - The DEI team at USRowing
28:08 - About the TruClusion survey developed to help USRowing formulate its strategic plan
30:40 - RowCon2023's wide variety of content, all with an inclusion lens
37:52 - How RowCon2023 attendees can take ownership of the event and network successfully
46:23 - bonus outtake
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To see photos of Jess, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode is made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, and our Patrons.
47 min
January 06, 2023 S4E1 - For Lisa Stone and Daughter Gevvie, a Philosophy of Joy
Seattle has the Pococks. Philadelphia has the Kellys. And Boston has the Stones. We’re really excited to kick off season 4 with mother/daughter Olympians Lisa and Gevvie Stone. Lisa was a member of the first U.S. women’s Olympic rowing team in 1976. She married Gregg Stone (an Olympian and original founder of C.R.A.S.H.-B.s), and went on to a 42-year coaching career at the helm of collegiate and high school programs.
Gevvie was raised in a competitive environment, and was a natural when she took up rowing in high school coached by her mom. She won Youth Nationals her first year on the team and went on to row at Princeton. Gevvie was a member of the 2012, 2016 and 2021 U.S. Olympic teams – all while in medical school, and then as an emergency medicine resident.
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CATEGORIES: coaching, training, racing
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TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Welcome
02:42 - Tara and Rachel talk about why they’re excited to talk with Lisa and Gevvie
05:00 - What's going on their rowing week
06:45 - Rapid Fire Q&A
11:25 - Lisa’s quick turn from LTR to National Team
16:45 - Gevvie was a natural, winning youth nats her first spring season
20:52 - Gevvie and her siblings were raised to be active and competitive - but not necessarily to be rowers
25:45 - The perfect stroke: is it even possible? There’s always “faster” out there
32:01 - Lisa reflects on being part of the first women’s Olympic squad, doped vs undoped, incremental progress for women in sport
37:47 - Gregg Stone: Rude and Smooth Harvard crew, C.R.A.S.H.-B.s
42:00 - The family dog interrupts and Gevvie ends up telling a story about racing boat slings
43:19 - Leaving a family legacy of joy in rowing in Boston
49:45 - Advice from Gevvie’s coaches
51:25 - Lisa reflects on her coaching legacy
53:32 - Looking ahead to 2023
58:00 - bonus outtake
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To see photos of Lisa and Gevvie, and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.
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This episode is made possible in part by the Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, and our Patrons.
1 hr