On a sunny Saturday morning, nine women from Greenbelt traveled to Bladensburg Waterfront Park to partake in a less common form of exercise. Instead of going on a morning run, they hopped in a boat to participate in a regatta – or boat race – on the Anacostia River against six other teams from the DMV area.
Crew is a sport that allows eight rowers to paddle
cooperatively in one boat, with each person having their own oar. An additional person, called a coxswain, sits at the back of the boat facing the rowers and gives them steering instructions. The coxswain has a rudder and steers with their hands.
“There are oars on one side of the boat and there are oars on the other side of the boat,” said Melissa Ehrenreich, a member of the Greenbelt Gliders. “And if you’re not all rowing together, it’s as if you only have one person rowing.”
The event was part of the Washington Rowing School’s Community Challenge program, which offered DMV residents free rowing classes starting on July 29 and culminated with a regatta on August 26. During the weeks leading up to the race, participants had the opportunity to practice four days a week.
“It’s really an opportunity for people who have either never gotten in a boat, or who want to get back in a boat,” Ehrenreich said. “It also [allows] people to engage their neighbors in being in a boat together.”
Forming a Team
Greenbelt resident Amy Knesel received an email from the rowing school regarding this year’s community challenge and thought that it would be a great opportunity for herself and some of her friends. She then created a Facebook post and asked around, successfully locating more women from Greenbelt who wanted to participate in the program. “When they brought up this idea of a month-long rowing challenge, it seemed like a perfect fit for some of my Greenbelt friends,” Knesel said.
Several of the Greenbelt Gliders members had a connection to rowing before participating in the Community Challenge. Team member Corita Waters rowed when she was a student at St. Mary’s College. Her fond memories of the camaraderie and being on the water made her eager to participate in the challenge.
“I love being out on the water, but having other people from Greenbelt, we carpool together,” Waters said. “And that really helps that outward motivation of [knowing] someone else is driving down there and getting up at 5 a.m. to head down to the river.”
Jessica Blacksten of the Greenbelt Gliders attended a rowing interest meeting in high school. However, after she was told that she would have to be the coxswain, she decided to play soccer instead. “They normally put really small people there [as a coxswain],” Blacksten said, recalling the situation. “And I was really small, and the rowers are the people that are like 6 feet tall. So, at 5 feet 3 [inches], they were not going to put me in a boat, not even the lightweight boat.”
Piri Jenkins did not previously row but her husband’s family is really into the sport. His uncle was a part of the 1980 U.S. Olympic rowing team. “I’ve just heard so much about rowing,” Jenkins said. “And I was really trying to get my husband to sign up, but he wouldn’t.”
The Regatta
The race started with three heats, or groups, of two boats each being sent out about 20 minutes apart, starting at 8 a.m. The first-place teams from the different heats were then grouped for one semifinal race and the second-place teams were grouped for another. The two fastest boats from the first semifinal and the winner of the second semifinal were then placed in a grand final round.
A team comprised of residents from D.C., Alexandria and Arlington won the challenge. While the Greenbelt Gliders were eliminated in the semifinals, the team members were happy about their performance.
“Considering it was the first time that all of us on that boat had rowed together, we did a really good job,” Knesel said after the race. “We could have done better.” Jenkins added, “I think my favorite part is being out on the water. We saw a whole bunch of egrets today and ducks and it was beautiful.”
Making Rowing Accessible
This is the 11th year that the Washington Rowing School has offered the Community Challenge. Cindy Cole, founder of the school, said that the sport was once more popular. However, accessibility has made it a challenge for more people to participate. She buys used equipment for people who live near the boathouse to use.
“Not everybody has waterways and boathouses that they can access to do this sport,” Cole said. “So, it has evolved.”
While the Greenbelt Gliders aren’t sure if they’ll compete in another regatta next year, they do encourage others who are interested in learning to row to consider doing the program. “The Washington Rowing School is perfect for beginners,” Knesel said. “Coach Cindy Cole was an incredible instructor and endlessly patient. It’s great for beginners as well as people who have rowed before.”