Coach Matt Madigan’s final update from London

Our Sarah Trowbridge makes the most of closing ceremonies. (Thanks to Scott Gault for giving her a lift!)

This is my final entry. Debated about sending it, but figured I better close it out.

Thanks for the support and great work on the ‘Star. Great stuff.
-Matt

We’re glad you sent it, Matt. We couldn’t have ask for anything more than you and the girls gave us during these Olympics Games. We’re so proud of you all.
-TPS

There is a picture that one of the Potomac Boat Club members posted on the bulletin board in 2009. It is a picture of Margot rowing the single in Poland in 2009 with a handwritten caption, “Margot on here way to the Olympics 2012 The Form—Check It Out.” Often I would stop, check the technique (can’t help it), but more importantly the photo has served as a reminder of the Dream.

The Form - Check It Out

This spring we had an opportunity to seize the Dream and live the Dream with everything that goes along with an Olympic effort. It took a lot. The commitment of our families, specifically my wife, our supporters and our Potomac Village helped to make our efforts possible. However, Margot Shumway and Sarah Trowbridge are the ones that demonstrated the hearts and minds of Olympians throughout the challenges and the joys of the journey it took to get to London and while we were there. Their efforts and determination will always have my respect. We knew in Chula Vista on April 12, that improvements needed to be made to what we were doing. Each race, each piece, each of the hard workouts during our three-a-day regimen, they took on the challenge and responsibility and did improve to the point of putting themselves in the hunt for a medal.

We do a race-talk the night before the race to go over details, logistics and race plans for the next day. Racing from Lane 1 and being the 6th qualifier to the field of 6 we knew we had challenges to be in contention for a medal. The lanes were also reseeded the morning of the race giving the more sheltered lanes 6 and 5 to the heat winners Britain and Australia. There also was the fact that Britain’s Kath Grainger, who had three Olympic Silvers and her partner hadn’t lost for three years and that the Australians were right on their heals. However, of the other four boats, US, China, Poland and New Zealand, we were not far off on splits from the heats and rep. and knew there was a shot at a medal. We focused on how to emphasize the first 1000 meters of the race and be in contact with the other boats. I asked Margot and Sarah for 2-3.5 seconds to be made up on the field and then raising the rate and essentially starting our sprint with 900 meters to go. We were going to go out and race for a medal without worrying about trying to beat Kath Grainger or the Aussies.

As expected the British went out fast and the Australians went with them. Margot and Trow had a great start and made up those 2-3 seconds on the Chinese and the New Zealand crew, staying in contact with both. However the veteran Polish crew, which we had raced bow to stern in the heats, had also found an additional gear and pushed to open water on the three trailing crews. Just as planned in the middle of the piece, our athletes began their push and were moving back on the Poles getting in front of the Kiwis and right with the Chinese. Both us and Poland paid that price. The Poles had gained enough of a lead to secure the medal and while we did negative split the 3rd and 4th 500’s we needed even more in the 2nd 500 to get through the other boats as the final four boats came across in contact with one another, 2.62 secs separating the boats racing for bronze.

Racing a final anywhere, you go out to have the your best race and take your shot at a medal. At the Olympics you also are representing your country, your team, your club, university, friends, family, etc., as it is a much higher profile event. For the British team, not only was their printed press, tv and swarms of reporters around the athletes, but the course announcers as well, inadvertently or not, would share information with the crowd and in the case of our race, did nothing but hype the British double. They went as far as saying, how disappointing it would be if Kath Grainger did not win, after her previous three Olympic silver medals. Kath Grainger and Anna Watkins handled the pressure and did win. Our athletes represented everyone and most importantly themselves at the highest level, handled the pressure and put themselves in contention.

In being 2.6+ seconds away from a medal, it feels like we were very close. However, there was some tremendous racing where medals were determined by tenths of seconds. The US Men’s 8 had a tough fourth place finish in a tight six boat field that had all boats close, but taking fourth by .3. Our Women’s Pair made the final directly and then raced to within .2 of a medal again in fourth. Tremendous efforts by both teams, but bittersweet in the end leaving the athletes dazed long after leaving the course. In a race that comes down to tenths of seconds over a 2k course, there is no greater gap in placement for all involved than the gap from 3rd to 4th as a medal can be a life changing event. Time heals all wounds, but the finality of the Olympics and retirement for many, another four years for others, is a reminder of how much efforts is put forth by the athletes, teams and sports that are taking place here.

After our race, Margot’s family invited me to lunch and it was great to spend time with her family, and especially her Mom, Julia. I mentioned it in an earlier post, but she came over to London in the middle of chemo during her ongoing battle with cancer. Seeing her strength and having her at the races clearly shows were Margot gets here edge. Also, great to see coach Reilly Dampeer and Stefanie Kozuszek the day before the finals, as they helped to keep things balanced before races and over lunch.

As coaches our credentials get transferred to coaches/officials who come in for the second week of competition with other sports, so we are not able to stay and see other events. The athletes move into the main village while the majority of coaches head back home. I was able to visit the main village, eat at the dining hall and see some of the Olympic Village and Olympic Park. The USA House is the USOC sponsored center that hosts, Olympians, friends, and importantly USOC sponsors. Great to see so many familiar faces from the rowing community, National Rowing Foundation and the USRowing Board, but also from the Olympic community. Mary Lou Retton, Leroy Burrell, and Greg Louganis were all there the first night we were there and many of the rowers hung with the all of the swimmers on my last night in town.

Literally ran from USA house to catch the last train at midnight back to the Rowing Village for a 4:30 a.m. airport pick-up. I’ve been home all week catching up with wife kids, working with the transition from GeoIQ to ESRI, nursing a bad back and watching/sharing as much Olympic coverage as I could fit in with the kids.

It is always sad to see the torch extinguished. However, Jacque Rogge, IOC Chair invited the youth of the world to gather again in four years time in Rio. You never know what can happen, but that would certainly be a dream for any of the three of us. Margot and Trow are looking at starting coaching careers, and you can bet they will pour everything they have into their efforts.

Thank you for all of the support.

Coach Matt Madigan from London: Let the Games begin!

Sarah and Margot ... fabulous

In a couple of hours is the Opening Ceremony.  This is the day that we have all been targeting some for months since qualification, some for years and many for the majority of their lives.  The torch itself arrived in London a few days ago via a Marine rappelling from a helicopter at Tower Bridge.  It has since traveled the boroughs of London after its trip from Olympia, Greece and around the country.  We put up a map of the locations on GeoCommons at http://geocommons.com/maps/186376 that shows how much ground they have covered. 

Matt (left) running with Olympic dreams back in 1984

Many discussions are focused on who should light the torch.  Of course, we are biased that Steve Redgrave, who earned a gold medal in rowing in every Olympics from 1984 in LA until 2000 in Sydney, is a favorite and our rowing biased choice.  To give everyone an idea of that timeframe, my brother dug up photos from when my Olympic dream was born in 1984, running with the Olympic torch through Sierra County in Northern California. 

Tonight’s run culminates in the Opening Ceremony.  Very few rowers from any country are attending, with racing starting tomorrow and since our base is in a satellite village about 90 minutes away from the event.  They also are trying to keep the ceremony short this year due to public, volunteer and  security reliance on public transit, so only athletes have been invited to march.  We will take a team photo, and then join the rest of the countries at our Village for a viewing to share the experience. 

Matt carrying the torch in 2012

Our athletes have been doing well.  Racing doesn’t begin until Monday, and we continue to put on the finishing touches.  Yesterday the opened the warm-up lanes for the first time and ran some practice starts.  A bit of chaos ensued, but everyone got in some starts.  With few lanes open on the course, there is sort of a rush hour that occurs on the water with crews doing everything from drills, sprints, starts, turning crews, and stopping to listen to their coaches creating some congestion.  Margot and Trow have done a great job navigating through it with some fun.  A couple of days ago Mahe Drysdale, the current five time World Champion in the single from New Zealand, turned right with them during a steady state lap.  As speeds from the Men’s Single and Women’s Double are similar, battle paddle ensued with our boat keeping their bow ahead.   The girls enjoyed the experience and made sure that I noticed that they stayed ahead.

Bus rides have been entertaining.  The general pattern is that everyone goes to/from cafeteria directly to the bus to the venue.  No assigned seats or teams on the bus ride home so it makes for some great opportunities to meet fellow competitors and make or renew friendships.  One ride had the section of the bus that I was sitting in, made up of Greeks, Cubans, Argentines and Americans.  We know each other from races and the Village and the Argentines and Cubans get along well.  Athletes from Argentina were passing around a cup of Yerba Mate Tea with a special cup and straw/spoon with a thick bunch of tea leaves ground within the cup.  Yerba Mate is a social drink that opens conversations and we had an enjoyable and very social ride home passing around the tea.  Not advisable as far as the drug-testing is concerned, but for a coach it was ok to share in the cultural experience.  Separately, we are happy to report that drug-testing is going on random selections across the athletes including Trow. 

National Team paint job

As we have settled in and all of the countries have arrived here, growing pains are noticeable.  Only one milk dispenser for 600 people caused a stir at yesterday’s breakfast.  Bus rides on the way to the course have become assigned seating on the way there and folks have been taken off of buses for not signing up properly.  Arrows were put down on the coaching bike path as coaches from many countries converge and sometimes don’t remember in England that riding on the left is the rule.  Sidenote:  While filming and timing from the bike, sometimes, I drift out of my lane.  Yesterday, a coach swerved quickly around me onto the grass as the double did some pieces.   Not sure why, but somehow I must have made him nervous.   There definitely a mindset of very strictly following the rules without deviance.  All this goes along with an event of this magnitude and everything gets worked out. 

Our staff here has been extremely helpful in working through anything that we need.  For the most part we have not had to ask for anything and things have run smoothly, which is a great sign that USRowing and the USOC at many levels took care of everything before the event.  We are very thankful for the ease of everything so we can focus on the rowing.  Special shout out to our medical staff who keeps the athletes ready, working long hours to do so.  Marc Nowak and Dr. Hosea have really helped me personally, when my back has been behaving badly. 

Earlier this week, I had a great experience in meeting up with a group of teenagers and chaperones from Grace Church in Alexandria, where my wife and I go to church.  They had a trip planned to England as their “Journey to Adulthood,” class/experience was wrapping up after two years.  When they found out we were going to be in London at the same time we set-up a meeting.   I walked from the course to meet them in Windsor after practice.   We went out on a boat from Windsor, celebrated a service, and then went to a pub/restaurant where we were able to share experiences and tell some stories.  After we had our meal they dropped  me off at the Royal Holloway University where we walked around the grand Founder’s Building (Hogwart’s) on campus.  Then I was able to share something unique, by walking down to a security gate, where athletes/coaches enter, where the volunteers and security took pictures with the kids, about as close as you can get to the experience.  The really enjoyed the photos with the security (and their automatic weapons), seeing some of the athletes walk by and the campus.  It was very rewarding for me to share some of my experiences with these enthusiastic kids and thank you to Julie Simonton, Jonathan, Lee and Kelly as chaperones for making this happen. 

Where the food happens in the Village

The athletes had the morning off a couple of days ago, and I took advantage by heading to the Olympic Village in London.  The bus trip took went by all of the monuments and then to the Village.  What a place!  Everything is on a different scale.  I headed immediately to the Dining Hall with a Samoan kayaker who was on the bus.   HUGE.  Tables, athletes and food stations with all types of different cuisine, from British traditional, to Halal, to European, to McDonalds cover what looks like at least two football fields.   Fun to see some of the athletes that one recognizes such as Phelps, the beach volleyball team as well as teams from other countries all there together. 

The Village is a community of apartment buildings with plenty of green space.  Seemingly every room, balcony and window has a national flag hanging off of it and all of the athletes are going to and from training in their countries gear.  The Olympic Park is about a 15 minute walk.  There are busses for the athletes to the venues, but only with the right credential, as I found out when I tried to go to the Olympic Stadium without a track and field (Athletics) credential.  Very strict here.  The walk goes buy an enormous mall and then back through security.  The walking spaces are huge and the Orbit, Natatorium, Olympic Stadium also are enormous.  Everyone was busy putting the finishing touches on.  I took some pictures and then hopped on the Tube and a train back out for the afternoon practice.

So, everyone is really ready to get started.  Spares races were the final test over lunch today and it looks like the skycam, timing, etc. are all ready.  We still have three days until we race, so a couple of short rows to sharpen on Saturday and Sunday, but the work is done.  

They were showing some Olympic highlights on the big screens today with Chariots of Fire, or some other motivational music playing.   I’d by lying if I said I didn’t pedal just a little faster with some adrenaline and excitement for the coming week.  It is has been a long road to get to this point.  This is it.  Let the games begin.

Coach Matt Madigan from London: On the ground

All smiles for Sarah Trowbridge while the team explores their new temporary home.

We have now been on the ground for five days and have settled into our dorms, the course and our routine.  The last two boats from the US arrived this afternoon, which completes our team.  We will have 12 of the 14 boat classes racing here.  Germany qualified a full contingent.  Great Britain and Australia both have 13 qualified boats.

Once we landed, a short drive took us to our Rowing Village, which is located at Royal Holloway, a University of London campus.  We were here for about 1 hour then off to London.  The bus ride around the outskirts of London led us to USOC processing center.  We received our credentials at the airport, but this processing was to get official team gear.  Thanks to sponsors Nike, Ralph Lauren, P&G, Oakley, and others we received a bunch of Olympic Team gear that we are now proudly wearing around the Rowing Village and Venue.  On the bus ride back, we went right through the heart of London, along the Thames, saw the Eye, Parliament, Big Ben, and the rest of downtown.  We got stuck in traffic, a constant here, and it turned into the nap bus, since we had been traveling nearly non-stop for more than 24 hours and it was a warm 2 hour drive.  The 30ish-mile drive has been two hours twice, and I thought the traffic in DC and the Bay Area is bad.

Royal Holloway, University of London

The Royal Holloway, University of London is a great place.  All rowing countries are staying here except Great Britain, located about a half of a mile from the course.  Nine thousand students during the day give way to the teams, security, volunteers, staff and military personnel.  We are in single rooms with the Slovenians, Dutch, Aussies, Germans, Swiss and others in our compound.  Two-level cafeteria is a three-minute walk away serves good cafeteria food, reflecting the variety of cultures staying here.   There is a gym with 30 rowing ergs and another 15 kayak and canoe ergs as well as a bunch of free weights.   The feature of campus is the Founder’s Building, which was built in the late 1800’s and is beautiful.  It is a traditional brick building with porticos, peaks, bay windows, lots of nooks and crannies and two huge courtyards.  Yesterday there was a wedding reception in one of the courtyards, and knowing the gates were open, I took the photo-op.  Also a couple of pubs that are a short walk away with some good cask beers.

Recycling is clearly a focal point.  The cafeteria is serving on compostable plates with practically everything we touch being recycled.  At the course the silverware is made from potatoes, not sturdy, but enviro-friendly.  Coca-Cola has vending machines everywhere.  I heard 70 machines were at the course.  Also encouraging recycling by advertising that a bottle used here will be turned into a new one within 6 weeks.  Public transportation for everyone associated with the games.  You need your room key to turn on the power in your room, which is common across Europe.

Lots of security here.  Cameras, Bobbies, security forces in green, military troops and automatic weapon toting policemen are located at multiple points throughout campus and especially around the gates.  Double fences all around campus and the venue, vehicle barriers, vehicle inspections, metal detectors and X-ray machines greet us.  We travel from “clean zone” to “clean zone.”  I took a ride with our Program Manager, Fred Honbein, to the Venue, in the USRowing van; it took us about 30 minutes longer than the busses due to additional security and shuttles.  We were discussing getting some spray paint in to paint the oars with Concept2 and Darren Croker and they said the only possible way to do it now would be to ship it UPS where it would be scanned at the airport and then brought in by UPS.  Impressive.

Margot Shumway posts up next to the Palace Guard. (That chin strap is about to become a mouth piece, huh?)

Bus ride to the course is around 30 minutes on the weekends and up to 80 on the weekdays.  They have Olympic lanes on some of the roads, but the Motorways, get packed with traffic and we sit like every other car out there.  What is interesting is that the course is 8 miles by bike, 12 miles via Windsor on backroads and 18 the way we go around Heathrow Airport.  The reason we go the long way that was  mentioned to us is that the backroads are too small with small roundabouts with no contingencies should there be congestion or should something happen.  Thus far we have been taking an early bus to the course and staying through lunch to get the two practices in.

We have been on the course now for five days and there is a flurry of activity around the venue.  The record rainfall in June slowed progress considerably and wood chips, temporary sidewalks and even temporary parking lots have been installed over very soft pastures and soil where spectators, workers, volunteers and athletes will be traversing and watching the rowing competition.  It is an amazing and complex multi-layer infrastructure that goes into putting this on.  The military personnel, security forces, workers and volunteers have their own separate infrastructure including their own dining, transportation, medical and resting areas that for the most part go unseen, unless you look for them.

The venue

The venue itself is very much a “bathtub” course.  It parallels the Thames and was a gravel quarry at another time that has been expanded to an 8-lane regulation course.  Prevailing and significant crosswind from the left hand (starboard) side as we come down the course wears on the athletes.  With a good patch of weather this week, we are hoping that it is a minimal impact.

On both sides of the course are bike paths, that will become coaching pelotons and camera car lanes during the Games.  On both sides of the course in the last 250 meters are grandstands; general public on the north side and family, friends, special guests on the south.  2 big screen TVs, 50 feet by 50 feet are on either side enabling spectators to watch.  A 3-lane warm-up course lies behind the south grandstand.   They also have built 300(+-) foot towers at either end of the course for cameras and have strung 4 cables between them forming a 1.5 mile “cablecam” that will follow the races.  Similar to the cameras above the field at a football game, that someone said is the longest one ever built.  Should make for some great viewing.

Very few countries have been here this week and it has been good to get out on the course and test things out.  The Olympics is a smaller regatta than the World Championships, so fewer boats, coaches, etc., but with the infrastructure around us it is still pretty intense.

Outside the castle gates with Margot Shumway, Sarah Trowbridge and Coach Matt Madigan.

After the travel and four days of double-days, we took an afternoon off for mental refreshment and headed to Windsor.   The athletes need the distraction and since we are 15 minutes away, we took advantage of taking the tour of the castle and having some fish and chips.  The castle was extremely impressive.  Gardens, huge rooms, courtyards, art, tapestries, weapons and the guards made for a great afternoon.  From one of the terraces you could see the camera towers at the course.  Sean Gorman, my brother and I made the ride here from the World Championships in 2006 and it was only 10 minutes by bike.  The Queen was in, but we didn’t get to have tea with her, possibly next time.

The docent explained that with the Jubilee Year, 60^th anniversary of her coronation, and the Olympics she is quite busy.  The rooms we had been touring were used for events nearly nightly and she walked us through the process.  It looked like a museum, and hard to believe it was a fully functioning banquet, reception, social area nightly when the tourists were away.  She mentioned she had wanted to get tickets to the rowing but couldn’t and that her friend had made it as a volunteer.  When we gave her one of our Olympic pins she literally jumped up and down and ran to show another one of the docents.  Awesome to see the excitement we have shared with others for the Games.

Athletes are doing well.  We have settled into a routine.  Normal ups and downs of a trip.  Boat is rigged, athletes are doing the work.  It will be an exciting coming week as the rest of the nations arrive and we complete our training for racing.  We continue to be thankful for our supporters and backers at Potomac as well as our friends and family.

Coach Matt Madigan: Now the fun begins

Coach Matt Madigan checks in on the way to London.  We look forward to more! -TPS

Margot Shumway and Sarah Trowbridge go from PBC red and white ...

Now the fun begins.  Together, the three of us, Margot Shumway, Sarah Trowbridge and myself, have been through the ups and downs of training this year and since 2005 and 2006, when they started at Potomac Boat Club.   Countless hours spent on the Potomac and at the National Team Training Centers in Chula Vista, Princeton, and Mercer County (New Jersey), along with racing domestically and internationally, has led us to this very moment and this flight we are on to the 2012 Olympics Games in London.  I spent the second half of the weekend with my family and then left from Dulles, while Margot and Trow, packed up their temporary housing belongings in Princeton and headed out of Newark with the rest of the team.   Ed Ryan, our club president, mentioned he knows an airline story when he sees one, and I don’t want to disappoint after the last one regarding our return from Switzerland.

Since winning the women’s double event at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, Margot and Trow have aggressively gone after their workouts over the last eight weeks.  At the end of May and through early June, we were back at PBC and on the Potomac River to get our distance and aerobic training base back after a peak for the Qualification Race.  By training in DC, we were able to re-establish our base not only physically, but also mentally by reconnecting with family, jobs, teammates and our Potomac Boat Club community.   At the end of three weeks, we knew it was time to head back onto a course.  With the Occoquan course being taken out by a surprise dam release, the best place for us to go was Mercer and Carnegie to continue with other team members.   The US boats training in New Jersey included the Men’s and Women’s Eights, Men’s and Women’s Pairs, Women’s Quad, and the Light Men’s Four.  We were in good company.

After making arrangements with USRowing, Bryan Volpenhein really helped to facilitate our water time at both Mercer and Carnegie.  Not only is Volp a gold and bronze medalist in the M8+, he will have two crews, LM4- and M2-, racing in London.  He has been very helpful and his boats have been great training partners for our W2x.  With three individuals working together the intensity can turn up quickly.  By surrounding ourselves with other boats both on the water and crews on the land, a greater diversity of thought can be shared, which allows intensity to be focused on the workout.

To USA red, white and blue! (Margot and Sarah, front and center, on the Row to London page on Facebook)

Since our trials event, one of our themes has been taking full advantage of our second opportunity and doing what it takes to ramp up boat speed with our sights on the Olympics Finals.  Both Margot and Trow have done a tremendous job in taking ownership and attacking this process.  As a result they are fitter, faster, technically skilled, communicate better, and are more prepared than ever.  They have been doing triple-days with hard work on back-to-back days twice a week to prepare us for the heats/repecharge format that we will face in 14 days.  This final week of training for example had us doing interval 500s with competition followed by a bungee on/bungee off workout to 42 strokes/min.  A day of steady state followed with the next set of work being 2 x 2k just below race pace and 2 x 1k full at racepace-plus.   As a bald eagle flew about 50 feet above the double during the last 1000 meter piece, racing our duo for 150 meters, the athletes put together a Personal Best for the workout.  I knew with this sign that it was definitely time to head over the pond and get started on the next phase of training/tapering.

We continue to be grateful to the Village that supports us.  My wife and family sent me off with a American flags and “good lucks” and I certainly couldn’t do this without them.  Our families and friends are deserving of much praise and thanks for the sacrifices it has taken.  Volp, USRowing staff, Princeton National Rowing Association staff, Princeton University staff,  PBC, PRSF, Paul Knight, Erik Meyers, host families in New Jersey, Washington and San Diego, my coaching colleagues and everyone who has done the little things to get us here.  Chris Korzoniewski, Reilly Dampeer and Jim O’Conner have all stepped in to support our efforts and lend their expertise when I could not be there.   Financially, our thanks goes out to all of the contributors who have supported us along the way.

I also would be remiss to not thank all of the rowers who have helped GeoIQ.  Last week after seven years of effort, more from our founder Sean Gorman, the company sold.  Thank you Margot, Sarah, Ruth, Bill, Matia, Jenn, others and especially Don Spero and Sean for pulling us across the finish line.

When we land tomorrow morning, our itinerary has us heading to our housing at the University of London, Royal Holloway campus outside of London near Windsor and much closer to the rowing course at Eton-Dorney, which is still about 35 minutes away.  After dropping off gear and grabbing a quick bite to eat, we will take a bus to processing in central London, where we will receive our gear, get credentials and receive final instructions from USOC/IOC/LOCOG.  We became part of the US Rowing Team by naming at trials, racing in Lucerne and joining the other boats at the National Team Training Center.  Tomorrow, we join the other teams as part of the United States Olympic Team.

[Another update:  Made it through Heathrow and to the rowing village at Royal Holloway.  Great place, looks like all countries but GB will be staying here.  First impressions, tons of volunteers and security.  We returned to the dorms for a quick jog and dinner and to catch-up on sleep.  I may try to sneak down to start rigging the boat or head down the next day.   Yes, it's been a long day or two of travel, but nothing compared to the journey to get us here.]

Matt Madigan: Leading to London

Those big smiles say it all (... along with the medals).

To donate to help our PBC U.S. National Team members, as well as our National Team hopefuls, get even closer to realizing their dreams, please click HERE.

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Dear Friends, Family, Potomac Boat Club, Potomac Boat Club Supporters, Potomac River Sports Foundation and Supporters:

During the course of the past year, since Margot Shumway and Sarah Trowbridge began their journey in the Women’s Double Sculls, I have stated that, “It takes a village.”  This Village enabled Sarah and Margot to win the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta this weekend, earning them a spot on the 2012 Olympic Team. There are a lot of people to whom we cannot say enough Thank Yous. I must start by thanking my wife, Katie, who enables me everyday to “Live the Dream,” while she executes and grows her career in education and takes care of our three wonderful boys.

The PBC team has made the difference in our season, a season that has been full of hard work and overcoming challenges, and a season that began with the PBC Open Sculling Program.  I would like to thank Reilly Dampeer, who strengthens the tradition of strong coaches of the Open Scullers, creating the structure of the program, fundraising with the Rising Stars Dinner, and helping Margot, Trow, and all athletes through her coaching knowledge and perspective.  I would like to thank Jim O’Conner for his continual support of both me in the launch, and the girls in the boat, along with the entire PBC Open Scullers Squad for competitive and moral encouragement.  Sean Gorman gets a special shout out for being the “rabbit” as long as his body could hold out, and through his support at GeoIQ, our employer and where Margot and Trow have both been previously employed.

I would like to thank The Potomac River Sports Foundation, with the leadership of Paul Knight and Eric Meyers, who have provided financial support of our training and qualification process not only now but for years going back.  Also, The PBC Board and the leadership of Bob Price and Ed Ryan, who continue to support the structure of the program, the boathouse, our fine fleet and infrastructure.

To the supporters who have financially contributed to our efforts for the squad travels to West Coast Trials/Training, and International efforts and have continued to write the checks that have come in long after the Rising Stars Dinner, we give a special thank you.  And to the club as a whole, whose daily encouragement and support on the good mornings and tough mornings makes a difference to all of us.

Thank you!

Margot Shumway (b) and Sarah Trowbridge (s) celebrate the qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games in the women's double sculls Final A at the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.

So, the story…

We are all PBC athletes and coaches.  Margot started rowing at the club in 2005, and was in and out of the National Team Camp.  Sarah began in 2005, making her first team in 2007.  Reilly joined in 2007, transitioned to coaching in 2008, and took over the program in the summer of 2010.  And I started in 2001.  Each of us developed as athletes and/or coaches at PBC.

After Margot’s win at the Pan Am games in 2011, the discussion went back and forth between the single and the double for months.  When Sarah (Trow) came back from Princeton in January 2012, we knew we could have a dynamic and winning combination.  After some bumps in the road, injuries, and sickness, we got back, but on a still slightly unsteady track, and it was not enough to win the Non-Qualified Olympic Trials at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista in early April.

Trow and Margot’s W2x placed third in their final, which only let one boat to head to the Final Qualification in Switzerland.  For about one hour and 45 min, we all thought that our season was over, until someone from the USRowing staff asked if Margot and Trow were around.  I said no and asked why, to which they replied that they may want to come back because the first two boats were declining.  Incredulous, I clarified a few times just to make sure, and then called the girls, who also could not believe it.

It turns out, the athletes who beat them were Olympians and US team members, a couple of whom won silver in the Women’s Quad the year before at World’s and wanted the opportunity to compete in the already qualified Quad that continues to have a real shot at a medal.  This left the non-qualified double to us.  The girls accepted, and shocked and dazed we headed off to discuss the next step over beer and bacon cheeseburgers.

It is so rare at this level that you get a second opportunity of this magnitude, we knew we had been handed a lifeline  As a group,we committed to taking advantage of this long shot and working towards improving times and getting more race ready and fit.  Between now and Switzerland, we would let no other challenges get in the way of our goal.

I have never seen athletes with such motivation and single-mindedness to succeed. The determination, commitment, attitude and a focus on increasing speed overruled fatigue and any complaints.  Times got better with PR’s in San Diego, DC and once in Lucerne, during race prep.  After four weeks of hard three-a-day workouts between Potomac, Occoquan and back out to the Training Center in Chula Vista, we headed over to Lucerne ten days ago.

Leading into the heats, there were nerves, probably more mine than Margot’s or Trow’s, but the confidence that we all had in the progress and training was evident in loose pre-race meetings and discussions.  In their first race, the heat, the girls executed their plan.  They blasted the first 1000m to a five-second lead and raced smart the rest of the way down the course, increasing speed only when the three boats, Spain, Finland and Denmark, all sprinted.  In the other heat, the Dutch and the Greeks were three seconds and one second faster than us respectively, and we knew we had our work cut-out to come out in the top two in the six boat final.

PBC Athletes Margot Shumway and Sarah Trowbridge share a moment with Coach Matt Madigan following their win in Lucerne, qualifying them for the 2012 Olympics in London.

In the 48 hours before the final we kept up our same routine we had established and the looseness was still there.  In the pre-race talk the day before, Margot even mentioned that if we won, we would be the first US Rowers named to the Olympic Team.   Margot and Trow arrived on race day with the same determination we had seen in the four-week lead up.  There were no doubts when they launched that they were ready and focused to execute.  They did.  They rowed an extremely solid race that never wavered.  They gained a lead in the first 500, extended in 2^nd 500, continued through the third and increased speed when the Netherlands, Spain and Italy  pushed.  All leading to the Margot Roar and Trow in disbelief of what had just happened.  It is a great and satisfying feeling to see your crew on the awards dock being announced as the Olympic Qualifiers for London.

Additionally, yesterday, U.S. team spirit kicked in again right after our race in the double, when the light men’s four, coached by Bryan Volpenhein, Sarah’s boyfriend, came down in an awesome race, ripping the lead from two other boats to qualify.  Finally, the men’s eight, led by Mike Teti, and having to qualify for the first time in history, came down the course to ensure that a men’s eight will represent the U.S., as one has in every modern Olympics where rowing has been competed.  A great dinner overlooking Lucerne with all of the qualifying boats, coaches and sponsored by Gary Rogers, and attended by several National Rowing Foundation members, created a celebratory evening.

Although this is a great day in a long season, it is just one day, and the goal is still to carry the fire forward to London.  As we sit on the plane headed home, we are contemplative and in planning mode for the next steps needed to be successful.  We will continue this journey with a nothing to lose attitude and the determination and commitment that it will take.  No doubt it will continue to take the support of our Potomac Village to lead us to the Olympic Village.

Other stars of our Potomac Team include Reilly’s boat of Willy and Whelpley, who did extremely well at the Non-Qualified regatta having one of the best races we have seen from a Potomac Boat.  PBC’er Sam Stitt and partner Warren Anderson were aggressively pressed the whole way down the course and held-off Willy and Whelpley’s efforts.  There was contemplation that Sam and Warren would stay in the priority and qualified Quad, which would open the Double to Reilly, but they decided to race in Lucerne and are racing sometime during this flight. Long-time PBC coach Cam Kiosoglous is leading their efforts and we wish them the best of luck.

PBC’s Shumway finds gold in Mexico

PBC's Margot Shumway at this year's Pan Am Games (Photo courtesy of Margaux Jackson)

Potomac Boat Club’s Margot Shumway won gold today in the Women’s Single event at the XVI Pan American Games 2011.

Margot’s win earned the U.S. one of the two gold and one bronze medals won by our National Team on this second day of finals in Ciudad Guzman.

Click here to read the Rowing News article about Margot’s win and here to read the ESPN article about the win and for more updates from Mexico.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARGOT AND COACHES MATT MADIGAN AND REILLY DAMPEER!  We’re so proud of you!

Support PBC’s National Team athletes!

Update: PBC's Brendan McEwan made it to Belarus and to semis at U23 World Championships, but the team still needs our support!

Every little bit helps!  And it’s all tax deductible!

• Click HERE to go straight to your donation options!

In less than a couple of weeks, our Brendan McEwan will represent the United States in the Men’s Single Sculls at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Brest, Belarus (July 22 – 25).  Brendan won his event at trials in June by 3.41 seconds, crossing the line in 6:59.294. He will be joined by Coach Reilly Dampeer, who has done a tremendous job helping him get ready.

And, hey!n  We’re proud to report again that Rob Rasmussen and Nader Al-Naji are on the Junior National Team roster!  Joined by Coach Deb Dryer, Rob and Nader will be racing in the double at the 2010 World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice, Czech Republic (August 4 – 7).

Crazy kids.  All that energy.  Makes you want to take a load off, doesn’t it?  Well, while you’re sitting there, you’re gonna earn a chance to  feel like you’re right there next to the guys when they step up to the winners’ podium … all without leaving your computer!

The charitable foundation created to support our National Team athletes, the Potomac River Sports Foundation (PRSF), figures our team still needs about $7,500 to fund our World Championships effort this year.  Basically, each boat costs about $1700 to rent and transport. The USRowing fee is $1,625 for each athlete. Add another $1300 for coach’s room, board, gear and flight. Well, you get the picture. Being an elite level rower ain’t cheap, folks!

Since we’re pretty sure none of us can cover the entire amount today, tax deductible or not, how about we do this thing together?  Fiddy from her.  A hundy from him. A couple Gs from you. And so on.  That way, we’ll all feel like we’re part of it when Brendan, Rob and Nader take those winning strokes across the finish line!

(Of course, if you do throw down the entire $7,500, just don’t tell us, so we’ll all still feel like we did something.  Thanks.)

Okay, so.  Got your credit card ready, PBC? (Come on! They need you! And it’s tax deductible!)  To give using PayPal, click here.

If you would rather pay by check, just make it payable to Potomac River Sports Foundation, and then mail it to Paul Knight at the following the address:

Paul Knight, Treasurer
Potomac River Sports Foundation
c/o Nossaman LLP
1666 K Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20006

By the way, you can give to the PRSF all year long!

Best of luck to Brendan, Rob, Nader, Reilly and Deb! GO, PBC!!!

Stay tuned for a charitable group hug mid-August.