Washington, DC’s two rivers – the Potomac and the Anacostia – haven’t been swimmable in decades and folks that live in the nation’s capital often have no relationship with the rivers. But when one of Rebekah Armstrong’s teachers suggested she join Capital Juniors rowing, she found a sport she loved wrapped up in just the right package of diversity and scrappiness.

The influence of a great coach prompted Rebekah to check out the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she walked on to the women’s crew. Having come from a diverse life and team in D.C., the transition to Wisco was challenging – Rebekah at one point was one of just ten Black female athletes on campus.

Rebekah opens up about the (slowly) changing face of rowing in the United States, finding mentors and support, and her drive to help BIPOC athletes as a certified mental performance consultant.

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - podcast lead-in
02:17 - Team Huddle: Rebekah Armstrong’s bio in 60 seconds
03:17 - Icebreaker: Washington, D.C., Capital Rowing Club, and USRowing DEI Associate Jess Jackson
05:17 - Rapid Fire Q&A
09:12 - Pre 2k snacks and the mental prep for erg tests
11:35 - Learning to row with Capital Juniors and the influence of a great coach on her decision to row in college
15:15 - The cognitive dissonance of rowing at the Anacostia Community Boathouse
19:35 - Being a “shrimp” and walking on at Wisco
22:27 - Finding balance as a student athlete, prioritizing athletic success over identity
26:50 - Gaining a mentor and being empowered as a member of Student Athletes Equally Supporting Others
30:31 - Support and inspiration at the U23 selection camp in Charlottesville, VA
34:39 - Post-graduation coaching at Wisco, collegiate burnout and what happens next?
38:53 - Nervous about the transition to masters rowing, Rebekah found welcoming teammates and fun on the water at Lincoln Park Boat Club in Chicago
41:19 - What it meant to row in the first all Black Women’s 8 at Head of the Charles
44:31 - Landing in Chicago as the Program Director at Chicago Training Center, and pursuing dual masters degrees as a licensed counselor and a certified mental performance consultant
48:20 - Increased visibility of DEI work in recent years

This episode was made possible in part by: Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons

EPISODE Mentions

BOOKS
Boys in the Boat

CAMPS
U23 Selection Camp

COACHES
Kate Bertko
Bebe Bryans
Susan Francia
Chris Leland
Dusty Mattison
Jim Mitchell
Steve Neumann

COXSWAINS
Corin Wiggins 🎧

CLUBS
Capital Rowing Club
Lincoln Park Boat Club
Potomac Boat Club
Thompson Boat Center

EVENTS
Erg Sprints
Head of the Charles
Stotesbury Cup Regatta
USRowing Masters Nationals
USRowing Youth Nationals
World Rowing Cup 

SCHOLASTIC PROGRAMS
Capital Juniors Rowing
Chicago Training Center

ORGANIZATIONS
Stem to Stern
USRowing

PODCASTS
Rowing in Color

ROWERS
Anita DeFrantz
Lauren O'Connor 

UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
University of Wisconsin

This episode was written, produced, hosted, and edited by Tara Morgan and Rachel Freedman. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.