Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association

While we're creeping out of winter up in Philadelphia, our HPG athletes are clocking in tons of meters down in Florida, prepping for next week's 2025 USRowing Winter Speed Order. Best of luck to all Penn AC athletes as they get ready to line it up and rip down the course! Join us in supporting them from Boathouse Row!

Did you get the February newsletter from Penn AC? Inside, check out this Penn AC Member Spotlight on current HPG athlete Morgan Linsley! https://lnkd.in/gZ52hvPG Why PAC? I chose Penn AC because of the club community. I love that this is a home for athletes like me who are chasing national team aspirations, and people who just row because they love it! It shows how rowing is for everyone and I feel very lucky to be a part of such an amazing group. Every member I have met has been incredibly welcoming and made me feel right at home. I also am thankful to be a part of the HPG and have teammates that inspire me to go harder every day. It’s an amazing environment that’s hard to find elsewhere!

Our current High Performance Group athletes are enjoying some sunshine, warm weather, and liquid water, all while currently on a training trip in Fellsmere, Florida at Canal 54. Working with HPG Head Coach Tom Wedgwood, our athletes are getting in some critical mileage ahead of the USRowing Speed Order in Sarasota, held towards the end of March. In our first year of the #LA2028 quadrennial - we're excited our athletes have these opportunities, and look forward to their development throughout this year. Pictured - Riona McCormick, Elaine Tierney, Emma Tierney

Have you met current Club President, Christopher Reich? Chris has been with Penn AC for more than ten years, first as an HPG athlete, then as a coach, as an active volunteer and board member, and now as President. Heading into 2025, Chris has a vision for the future of Penn AC and where we are headed: “Over the last decade, previous PACRA President Michael Wherley created a strong foundation for our organization. He positioned the club to continue on an upward trajectory by keeping our priorities centered: creating a strong financial base, building a High Performance program for competitive success, and investing in the Junior Gold program. Both the HPG and Junior Gold programs have seen incredible results over the last four years. I look forward to continuing Mike’s successes. It is important the club now takes what is going well, and starts to build upon the Masters program and Learn to Row programs so that we continue to introduce people to the sport, and to grow the Penn AC community. Additionally, over the next several years we are moving towards updating and renovating our physical facilities, so that we remain a premier training facility on Boathouse Row, in Philadelphia, and in the country.” Can't wait to see what's next for Penn AC in 2025.

Last week, PACRA athletes Cedar Cunningham and Kevin Cardno hosted a webinar in partnership with USRowing about navigating the high-performance pipeline. An important conversation for all athletes with an eye towards the future! Check out Cedar’s thoughts here ????

Closing in on the end of 2024, Penn AC masters rower and Executive Committee member Christina Costello shared why Penn AC matters to her: “Having ‘been on the outside looking in’ I finally came through the doors of Penn AC almost 20 years ago and that began my rowing journey!?Athletics had always been a big part of my life but it wasn’t until a good friend suggested I try rowing that I picked up an oar and I have never looked back. Penn AC has given me a competitive outlet, but more importantly, an avenue for lifelong physical benefits and an amazing community. Along this rowing journey, I have become involved at the leadership level of the club, as well as a member of the capital campaign committee. We definitely have challenges ahead with our aging facility. However, as in rowing, we are more powerful working in unison than as individuals and I have faith that the Penn AC community will pull together to keep the club viable for the next 150 years!” As of December 24, we’ve raised enough to replace the windows in the trophy room and the kitchen. With just another $1,000, we can replace the window in the women's locker room, too! https://lnkd.in/gMMGsByy

Have you met Coach Paul?? Rowing is a lifetime sport and for some of the athletes who train at Penn AC, the love of the sport starts in high school. The Penn AC Gold program is nationally known for developing young athletes into better competitive rowers, and better people. Coach Paul Coomes leads this program, now in its 14th year. When we asked what Penn AC meant to him, he told us: “I enjoy and appreciate being a part of a community of people who not only love rowing, but also selflessly give of themselves, both time and treasure, to support young men and women in their quest to achieve success in the sport. I have been involved with several clubs along Boathouse Row, and for me, Penn AC is the perfect fit. The people are amazing, and Penn AC's mission to support high performance rowing and high performing athletes (junior and senior) is personally significant to me.?? My primary role at the club is to manage and direct Penn AC Gold, which is a four-week, summer development camp for high-performing junior athletes from across the USA. Being a long-time junior coach, I find joy in helping young men and women develop not only as an athlete but as a person. The lessons learned at our camp have a lasting impact on their lives, and Penn AC's continued dedication to supporting, developing, and growing this camp is amazing.” Help us on our drive through these last few days of 2024: https://lnkd.in/gMMGsByy

Have you met Coach Thad?? Thaddeus Babiec MS of Goal Driven Habits is a champion of Penn AC's effort to expand accessibility to rowing: “I moved to Philadelphia in 2017 to train at Penn AC. The camaraderie with fellow athletes, along with the culture of high performance, hard work and tradition has made me want to stay and become more involved in the club and help it grow and improve. Rowing is a sport that’s given me a lot and I want it to be more accessible for everyone. Building the Learn to Row program and helping bring the sport of rowing to individuals that would never have had this experience otherwise has been very rewarding. Many of them are becoming active members and I look forward to the expansion of the membership and all the improvements that are being made to the facilities and the equipment.” The most significant recent boathouse improvement is the installation of a new HVAC system, so the main parts of the second floor have sufficient heating and air conditioning for year-round comfort. All our summer junior athletes and full-time club members will be thrilled to have an air-conditioned room to relax in between races during the summer, and a more comfortable space in the winter! We are over 15% of the way to our year-end goal of raising $30,000 towards improving energy efficiency at the boathouse and replacing our leaky windows. Join the push: https://lnkd.in/gMMGsByy

'Tis the season! Many athletes from our current High Performance Group came down to the boathouse last weekend for our 6th Stout and Chowder, along with HPG Coach Tom Wedgwood, masters rowers, board members, and Penn AC friends, to celebrate our community. Pictured here: Front row - Elaine Tierney, Thomas Foltz, Morgan Linsley Second row - Tom Wedgwood, Natalie Timinskas, Avery Ericksen, Cooper Hurley, Solveig Imsdahl, Kevin Cardno, Dylan Green Back row - Michael H., James Schmidt, Breck Duncan

Summer staff filling up! We are excited for another fun summer of high performance junior rowing in Philadelphia.