Thank You

The exact moment.  Crossing the line at trials.  Want to support us at Worlds? Click here!

It's been one week since Trials.  Last Wednesday our light men's quad earned our spot on the US National Team for the 2012 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.  For Sam, Bob, Shane, and our coach Craig Hoffman, it is their third or fourth (or more!) time making the team.  This is my first team.  It will be an honor and a privilege to represent the United States.

Since I first tried rowing, it has been a dream of mine to make the national team.  Every season, even every practice is a process of constantly reaching a higher level only to realize you've just begun as a novice again within that new plateau.  Seeing this dream become reality makes me so grateful for all the people who have made it possible, namely my coaches, teammates, friends and family.

Who else has helped make this possible? YOU have!  Just by reading this I thank you for your interest in the process.  The process is the result, so they say.  A lot of people are asking how they can support our racing, and here's how.

Why fundraise?  If you would like to support the US Men's Light Quad, we are paying our own way (airfare, equipment, housing, food...all of it), as we are not a funded boat.  A few individuals have been so generous already, and if you want to make a donation, every little bit helps!  Here is the link:

http://natrowing.donorpages.com/SeniorNationalTeam/maltabc/

Thank you,

In chronological order...

Trip Switzer - for encouraging me to join crew the freshman year at Lakeside.
Louisa Seferis - volunteering her time to cox the middle school crew camps I was a part of and telling me: "your catch is actually pretty good."
Jim Bargfrede - my first rowing coach at Lakeside for introducing me to what it means not only to row, but to race, and occasionally, if you get it right, to win.
Matt Minas - describing his training for CRASH-Bs as doing 40' pieces on the erg, every day, flat out, stroke rate 20, starting with doing 1:49s, then eventually down to 1:39s... then the week of doing 500m pieces at pace, getting a good night's sleep and going 6:01.
Susan Parkman - being one of the first people to really encourage me to scull, knowing that I'd like it and might one day be good at it.
Brad Alan Lewis - writing my favorite sports book of all time, Assault on Lake Casitas, and for acknowledging that it is through careful planning, hard work, and perfect execution that races are won.
Aaron Rose - my first coxswain in high school, keeping me honest when I'd give up, making sure I stayed after it.
Carsten Belanich - pulling hard, always, especially when the going got rough.
Chris Stoer - the first coach to have me doing more than one practice a day, consistently, who helped me to third place in the 2004 junior single trials.
Steve Perry - my coach at Dartmouth who showed us a way of rowing that was comprehensive, fun, and highly effective.  The lessons I learned from Steve apply to most every stroke I take (except the bad ones).
Matt Carey - my friend and doubles partner from Head of the Charles 2009, for putting up with my crap from bow, and for flipping out at me (rightly so) before our race that year, where we finished right behind the scullers from the "Great Eight" and the world champions from Germany.
Bruce Smith - having faith in me as a rower, and seeing me through some bumpy patches in Boston.
Matt Muffelman - being patient with me in the pair Summer 2010, showing me what a world champion rows like, and being a hero of mine for what he's achieved in the sport.
The D150 class of 2008 - a real grab bag of total hacks, myself included, getting me to relax.
The 'Dudes - Max, Hans, Aidan, you guys believe in me, even when I wasn't sure to believe in myself.
Elaine Christensen - saving Lakeside Crew when the school was considering leaving the program behind, always encouraging me to work hard at school and rowing as my advisor.
Conal Groom - coaching me and Alex and all the determined Seattle Rowing Center athletes this year, whose results speak for themselves.
Alex Twist - giving 110% ... so I could give 90%.  And being patient with me all year through countless meters, RP3s, weights, and pieces.  And a fair share of battle paddles too.
Mom - always supporting my rowing.
Dad - telling me in high school "You'll never be a jock", which at the time was probably true.

Sam Cunningham, Shane Madden, Bob Duff, of Malta Boat Club, and our coach Craig Hoffman, who have all committed along with myself to this boat, this year, working together day in day out to go as fast as we possibly can.  Looking forward to some more good strokes before we pack for Bulgaria and test ourselves.