Naiades Oncology Rowing

Numerous community sponsors, Lima Country Club and volunteers alike all pulled together this year to make our Naiades Oncology Rowing Golf Tournament a huge success and a lot of fun. You have the biggest hearts and a sincere thank you to all of you for making Naiades Oncology Rowing dream of being on the water a continued reality.

Not forgetting to mention at the helm coordinating the event as our Chairperson was Desiree Bethmann (pictured here in the golf cart to the far right). In addition, Michele Lewis was the Head of Volunteers coordinating an multitude of volunteers who were behind the scenes.

A total of twenty six teams played this year in the annual Naiades Oncology Rowing Ninth Golf Tournament. Some great pictures of the event taken by Umbereen Mustafa can be viewed here on our Facebook website: (4) Naiades Oncology Rowing | Facebook Next year will be our tenth year of the tournament and we will be planning for an even bigger event! Hope to see you there!

Considering rowing for spring 2022 and interested in learning about rowing with an awesome team and coaches? You can count on Naiades, we are here for some great rowing! come and meet with us for a Taste of Rowing on Tuesday, Sept. 14th at 5:15pm. (Rain date Thurs. Sept. 16th) at the Genesee Waterways Center (GWC 149 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14611) as we begin our fall session. We'll have ergs outside with a basic training session and you can view our boats going out around 6pm.

You may pre-register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1saS3u1WruNnLbmu4IBdhi6QdsglwsGOdEsMI-7SXfa8/edit?ts=6132d46e Please note that participants Must be Vaccinated and show proof of vaccination before entering the GWC area.

Coaching is described by John Whitmore as unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. At Naiades Oncology Rowing, we have some of the best coaches with extensive rowing experience. Alyssa Gabel (left) was a division one rower all four years of college at the University of Buffalo and became our coach in 2018. Karen Morgan (right) has been a certified rowing coach for ten years. Karen was a coach for Naiades back in 2012 and recently returned to us this season. Both of these ladies maintain busy careers, Alyssa in medical sales and Karen as a NYS community support specialist. They manage to have time for hobbies too with Alyssa enjoying running, all types of exercise and travel; and Karen enjoying cycling, gardening, dog walking and travel.

Both coaches strive to keep us aware of the best rowing and safety on the water. They are crystal clear when explaining the rowing technique beginning with the ergs and continuing in the boats with practice drills and "pauses" to get us in sync with each part of the stroke.

This past winter and early spring, Alyssa was fabulous heading up the Zoom exercise classes to keep us on track. Also since we resumed rowing this past summer, both Alyssa and Karen provide outdoor erging instruction at GWC when there are learning needs or environmental obstacles preventing us from entering the water. Alyssa stresses the importance of body mechanics in rowing. Another focus that Karen has is in performing stretching exercises before entering the boats and afterwards which increase flexibility. Both coaches take time to share with each rower what they see and how to improve.

In return, Alyssa and Karen believe in a big way that they have learned more about camaraderie, team work and support from the Naiades team members. We are so happy and honored to have them as our coaches!

Don't miss out on the featured article in September 2021 Good Health News written by reporter John Addyman called "The Naiades-Pulling Every Oar to Recovery": https://issuu.com/ingoodhealthrochester/docs/final-ighroc-193 This excellent article takes you into the real life experiences of some of our cancer survivors with rowing and what joining Naiades Oncology Rowing has done for them.

Those years of leaning over a computer at work and looking at your cell phones will someday catch up to you. Leaving you slouched with rounded shoulders impacting the way you walk, and even row. You need to optimize your rowing posture.

Before your first start rowing down the river, it is important to set your posture from the very start when you sit in the boat. Seated with even weight on both buttocks get into the finish position with your legs straight and arms bent under your rib cage. Then unlock your arms straight away from your body setting your body to an approximate 30 degree forward angle called the "body prep position" (still keeping your back vertical with arms and legs straight). Practice this hinge movement drill back and forth several times for comfort. Once this angle is established , it will help to prevent body lunging and will help to set your stroke length.

Also as recommended in our June 2020 newsletter, by Dr. Michael Penkin, owner and practitioner at Pinnacle Hill Chiropractic, extend through the hips and limit the depth of your catch to maintain a neutral less strained spine.

Helpful Resources: Correct Rowing Technique | FluidRower | FDF (firstdegreefitness.com)

Recovery Sequence In The Rowing Stroke - Prepare The Upper Body (coachbergenroth.com)Back Angle on The Rower. - Bing video

Back Angle on The Rower. - Bing video

Brilliantly the U.S. once again claimed the Paralympic silver medal in the PR3 mixed four with coxswain.

While the US eight rowing teams did not reach the Olympic medal stand, the U.S. still made five finals, set an American-record time in the lightweight women's double sculls and saw numerous first-time senior national team members gain valuable Olympic experience as their focus turns towards Paris 2024.

Letter from Amanda Kraus CEO of US Rowing recognizes the tremendous effort put forth by our US rowers and the obstacles created by the pandemic that rowers had to overcome. The work ahead will focus on reviewing feedback and surveys. Ms. Kraus indicates that there will be system, culture and structural changes within the organization. Positive change will be forth coming. We here at Naiades too learn from our experiences on the water and we look forward to the betterment of our sport from our US Rowing resource.

All sourced from: USRowing - Official Athletics Website

from Daniel James Brown:

"Harmony, balance and rhythm. They're the three things that stay with you your whole life. Without them civilization is out of whack. And that's why an oarsman, when he goes out in life, he can fight it, he can handle life. That's what he gets from rowing."

Daniel James Brown (2013). “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics”, p.357, Penguin

If you want to consider adding a loved ones name to our newest boat -- DRAGONFLY. Our Spirit Fund is accepting names of survivors, those who are in treatment, and those who a loved one wants to be remembered with every stroke our crew takes. Our application form with instruction is found here: https://naiades.forms-db.com/view.php?id=16103

Learning to row is hard work, yet a rewarding and FUN sport! Take a look at our info below:

• Brochure: http://www.naiadesoncologyrowing.com/about.html

• Website www.naiadesoncologyrowing.com/ Home Page
  

• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/naiadesoncologyrowing?epa=SEARCH_BOX

• Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/naiadesoncologyrowing/

Why Come Row with Us??? because we are about:

• Offering programs that appeal to individuals with all levels of rowing experience.

• Rowing with others who have faced the challenges of cancer.

• Having coaches who understand the uniqueness of our team and coach to our mission/goals.

• Your setting and accomplishing your own personal and team goals.

• Promoting an amazing and healing environment, leaving cancer behind one stroke at a time.

• Getting involved in Regattas as a fun way to work together to get to the finish line demonstrating progress in recovery.

• Offering accommodations for many post-treatment limitations.

• The water is magical, healing and enchanting, releasing your mind to a bigger purpose within nature.

To Include Others in Our Newsletter Mailings: Please email their names to info@naiadesoncologyrowing.com to get them on our list! Thank you!

Please remember us when shopping online via Amazon to go to AMAZON SMILE at www.smile.amazon.com from your desktops and select "Naiades Oncology Rowing" while shopping (please note this feature is not functional from your smartphones). Thank you!

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