2024e4 - Mark Gainey - StravaMark Gainey was a kid from Reno, Nevada who never expected to end up on the Harvard Rowing team.  Mark was actually recruited to Harvard for running!  Mark was a fast cross country runner who had an unfortunate injury that ultimately let him to the Harvard boathouse.  Once he got in a boat he was hooked.  On top of that, he met his future business partner.  Now years later, Mark has launched multiple successful companies, most recently, the fitness app STRAVA.

2024e3 - Tim Spell - OpenWaterTim Spell is one of the founders of OpenWater and the definition of a grinder.  Tim and Alex first crossed paths at George Washington Rowing and have stayed close ever since.  In 2012 Tim founded OpenWater, one of the leaders in cloud-based software.  In addition to talking about the work that went into his company, he talks about the importance of fitness and the role it has played in being a leader.

2024e2 - Jack Carlson - Rowing BlazersJack Carlson didn't start out with the plan to start a fashion company that has been featured in Forbes, Equire and Target.After being introduced to rowing in prep school, Georgetown, Oxford and a run at the US National team, Jack's side hustle of creating the Rowing Blazer's book, was launched in partnership with Ralph Lauren.  Hence, the Rowing Blazers brand was born.

2024e1 - The Gathering Place BreweryThe 2024 season of the Rowers Choice Podcast has a different theme than the past few years.  We are going to continue to talk with rowers, but this year we are focused on talking to rowers who started or founded a business.  We open 2024 with a good friend of Alex and CJ, Joe Yeado.  Joe is the owner of The Gathering Place Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Alex talks to Joe about his start in rowing at Marquette, rowing at Potomac Boat Club in Washington DC and then opening his brewery.

On Friday afternoon of our Take over the Row - Coaches Conference, we held a happy hour and a recording of our podcast with two Philadelphia rowing legends, Bill Lamb and Bruce Konopka.  Enjoy this special episode!

Chuck Crawford is a rowing legend. After competing in the sixties and seventies, he started coaching in 1978 before taking over the head coaching roll at St. Joes Prep in 1980.  Chuck is best known for his time at the University of Delaware.  He started that program back in 1991 and has been involved in that program in some capacity ever since.  Now years later, the coach and athlete tree that Chuck has created is one of the biggest in rowing!  This is a must listen to podcast!

2023e15 - Ian Rapoport - NFL Network / Columbia UniversityIan Rapoport is not like any of our other podcasts this season.  Ian didnt go to college to row, he went to college to play baseball.  When he didnt make it on the baseball team, Ian joined the crew team.  He ended up spending 4 years on the team, and now, years later, still thinks about his time on the team.  This is a very unique, special podcast for the 2023 season!

We were so excited to have this conversation.  Al Monte is the new head coach at University of Pennsylvania.  Al makes his return back to Philadelphia after coaching stints at Dartmouth and Bucknell.  Al got his start rowing right in Philadelphia at Roman Catholic High School.  He then went on to a great career at Holy Cross and with the US national team.  We are excited to see Al take over at Penn!

2023e13 - Steve Coppola - Cornell University"Don't wear a hear cape."  If you don't know Steve, you need to listen to this podcast.  Steve had an amazing career at Princeton and went on to have an amazing career on the US National Team, including a Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympics.  Now Steve is leading the Cornell Women as he rebuilds their team.  Don't miss this great story teller!

Smart, ambitious, and a rowing nerd in the best possible way.  Trevor Michelson is going to lead the next generation of rowing coaches.  He is a sponge when it comes to rowing knowledge and has had the opportunity to surround himself with some legendary coaches.  A rowers at Wesleyan, he got into coaching at Fordham, before coaching at Wesleyan.  In 2021 Trevor joined the Dartmouth team and is currently the interim Head Coach of the Dartmouth Lightweight Men.  Listen to this podcast to hear his thoughts on rowing, his favorite rowing races, and the future of lightweight rowing.

Greg Hughes is a Princeton Tiger.  A 4 year rower at Princeton, Greg competed with the National team for a couple years before coming back and becoming a coach at Princeton.  Now, more than 20 years later, he continues to lead the successful Tiger Heavyweights.  Not the biggest rower, Greg found his way to rowing at Brentwood, before making his way to Princeton.  His story is something all rowers should hear!

Matt Smith is the Associate Head Coach of the Princeton Mens Crew Team.  Matt grew up in Virginia, went to school at Wisconsin and served our country as an officer in the US Army before coming back to the US and getting involved in coaching rowing.  This is a great conversation with an amazing coach!

This week we have an amazing podcast with the legendary Yaz Farooq!Be sure to listen to her story about her journey from being a coxswain at @badgerwrowing, to the national team, to @nbcolympics, to @stanfordwcrew, and now at @washingtonrowing!  Be sure to listen to the full podcast in the link above!@yaz_farooq #rowing #usrowing #washingtonrowing

Al Acosta was a late starter.  He learned to row his freshman year of college, mainly because he heard they "had good parties".  Not long after, Al started his coaching career because of a conversation he had while sitting in traffic in Oakland.  Yes, this is a true story, you will have to listen for the details.  After starting the successful Stanford Lightweight Womens team, Al now finds himself leading the Cal Women.  This is a great conversation with a great coach! {{rowing}}

Alex has a great conversation with Cornell head coach Todd Kennett!  They cover everything from throwing hay bales, to sled dogs, to why bringing back freshman rowing at the IRA level could be important.  Dont miss these great stories with Todd!

Will Porter is one of the most successful Womens rowing coaches in history, but a very successful rower in his own right.  Will rowed internationally, and even set the course record at @hocr1965 before his coaching career started.  Be sure to check out this great podcast!

It all started in a dream.  No, seriously, Dave had a dream about it!  Without dreaming about being in a boat, and some determination, who knows where Syracuse Head Coach Dave Reischman might have ended up.  Dave started rowing at Gonzaga, and then got his coaching start under the legendary Harry Parker.  Now 21 seasons later, Dave has Syracuse Mens Rowing in as good of a position as they have ever been.

2023e4 - Chris Clark - WisconsinChris Clark has been a staple in Wisconsin since the mid 1990s and has solidified himself as one of the best coaches in college rowing.  Originally from California, ending up in cold and snowy Madison, Wisconsin would have seemed very unlikely, but after catching the rowing bug at Orange Coast College, transferring to Cal and a short stint [living in a VW Van] at Navy, Chris found himself at Wisconsin and has been there ever since.  Dont miss this episode!

2023e3 - Scott Frandsen - Cal Scott Frandsen might be one of the most competitive guys we have ever spoken to. Scott grew up in Canada, rowed at Cal, raced for Canada at the olympics and is now back at Cal trying to leave his mark in a program full of history. You dont want to miss this episode!

What better follow up to 2023e1's interview with Steve Gladstone, future head coach of Yale, Mike Gennaro. Mike is Philly guy through and through, learning to row at the legendary St. Joe's Prep. After rowing at Prep, he spent time at Syracuse and the national team before getting the opportunity to coach with coach Gladstone. Now, after 7 years of dedicated learning, Mike looks forward to this last season under Gladstone before taking the helm.