By Stephanie Jollie
Prior to writing this article my only exposure to rowing was the 1938 coming of age classic “A Yank at Oxford” starring Robert Taylor and Lionel Barrymore, and the less compelling, more widely known, 1984 Rob Lowe remake “Oxford Blues”. The finer points, like two oars per person in sweep rowing versus one oar per person in sculling, were lost on me.
When I was in college in upstate New York, everyone, even the other athletes, maintained a solemn and deep respect for the stolid crew folk. According to insomniac legend, they were often racing up and down bleachers, boat raised over their heads at some unspeakable hour of the day.
I decided to put the legend to the test and headed down to the Port of Olympia’s Swantown Marina, on Budd Inlet, to pick the collective brain of OAR, the Olympia Area Rowing Association. The club rows year-round on water that is comparatively flat most of the time.
At the behest of member Sue Hedrick, I decided some more light should be shed upon the lifestyle of the average rower. Are they majestic living statues of concentration, poise, and peak physical conditioning meant to be revered from a distance, or maybe they drive a used Audi and like roast beef sandwiches like me and you? Perhaps somewhere in between.
First, rowers are committed people. The sport has a positively galvanizing effect on the majority of people I spoke to and made huge converts out of people who, until rowing came along, did not necessarily excel at other sports.
Second, rowers love to recruit others. And, speaking from experience, their enthusiasm is infective.
Lastly, rowers do not come to OAR already chiseled out of Italian marble; rowing provides a great core workout and will definitely put you in better shape than when you began. Many rowers have stories of previous injuries or physical limitations that did not stop them from having a healthy and active rowing experience.
OAR began in 1998 with a few singles (boats accommodating one person) at Swantown and a little space in the boatyard courtesy of the Port of Olympia. In 2005 they broke ground for their own boathouse. The boathouse is impressive and everyone speaks of it with great pride.
Currently, the number of members in the club is around 80. The number of rowers in the junior program has grown this year, with 40 novices and 27 returning rowers. “There are no prima donnas in rowing,” says Sue Hedrick, who played soccer for 30 years before coming to rowing. “If I were playing soccer and the ball came to me, all that pressure is right on me, but if you are in a boat, you will succeed the better you are blending in.” Single person crafts aside, rowing is a sport that fosters a collective mentality.
OAR youth rowers
Of the dozens of people I spoke to, each excitedly echoed a slightly different take on the basic refrain for why they were there: health, community and fun.
Carol Reily has been a rower for over three years and delights in breaking both an athletic and mental sweat.
“Everyone should try it, it is a total core workout, a total ‘athlete’ sport’.”
Brittany learned to row in college and has been getting back into it over the past two months, saying, “It is a great way to know people, to be on a team.” Having others count on you is a great motivator, or as she has dubbed it, “fun forced interaction”.
The cranky hermit inside of me was admittedly taken aback; people of all shapes, ages, and physical ability, scheduling “regular grueling exercise with strangers.” But even my most cynical side cannot compete with a boathouse full of ear-to-ear grins. No one is unhappy or even remotely inconvenienced being here, and that camaraderie is strengthened by the fact that there are so many family members here. You could throw a PFD (personal floatation device) and hit someone’s brother or mother – or at least someone who joined because of a family member’s involvement.
Brittany started rowing because her dad was watching the Olympics and told her “you could do that.” And he was right. Brittany calls rowing a lifetime sport that you can be good at yourself, when you are 80, or as a team in college. 
OAR promotes and provides competitive and recreational rowing for adults and youth in the local community, fostering sportsmanship, teamwork, athleticism, and camaraderie. You should definitely take the time to see what they are about at www.olympiaarearowing.org or head down to the boathouse and say hi.