The Independent Rowing News

Photo: Sara and Red Sargent, 65 and 69 respectively, won the Mixed Masters 2x, the E-F Women's Master 1x and the G-J Men's Master 1x at the Head of the Hooch, by SportGraphics.com

The Head of the Hooch was chock-full of Southern crews who could scoot over to Chattanooga for a day or two of rowing, especially in the growing youth ranks. In Masters categories, however; there were a clutch of veteran athletes that came from distant northern states to dominate in their age groups.

Jim Dietz (Massachusetts) repeated his Head of the Charles win a victory on raw time and handicap in the E-F Men’s Master Single. Dietz, a three-time Olympian in the single sculls, as well as a three-time coach of Olympic crews is also a Power-10 New York honoree in 1984 (and think of what else he has done since then) and a 2009 Inductee into the Rowing Hall of Fame for the National Rowing Foundation in Mystic, CT.

Dietz was a legend in the 1980s... what does that make him now when he is still as competitive, and still active in the rowing community as the head coach of UMass Amherst?
Dietz rowed as under the “All-American Rowing Camp” label this time. He runs camps throughout the country with Mark Wilson, who is an installment at the Oak Ridge Rowing Club. Deitz, 60, had told Rowing News reporter in recent weeks that rowing just makes him feel healthy, which seems oversimplified for such a long history of racing, but there is a competitor hiding behind his always-smiling eyes, no doubt.

His All-American Camp sidekick Mark Wilson placed fourth with his (very small) handicap in the C-D Men’s Master Single. (Raw times are not online, but a quick glance at the results/conclusion: he was first. Apologies if non-math major analysis is wrong.)

From Philadelphia, PA and Fairmont Rowing Club came Redford and Sara Sargent, who have dominated the masters’ doubles and singles at the Hooch since the early 90s. The pair has attended the Hooch while it was in Roswell on the Chattahoochee, in Atlanta at Lake Lanier, and now at its Chattanooga home. By their memory, they have won the Mixed Masters double all but two of the past 19 years of the race. They have weathered the handicap storm here, and proven that in any age category, they can come out on top. In 2009 they won soundly over Jacksonville Rowing Club—their age helped on this one. Individually they won their Masters Single categories, E-F for Sara, and G-J for Red.

While the Sargents were being interviewed, a friend of Sara’s walked by, gave her a sturdy grab of her muscular 65-year-old shoulders and quipped, “Sorry to see you’ve lost your competitive nature, Sara.” Ironic of course, because competition is a driving force for Sara.

Sara began her career in the early years of women’s rowing on Lake Merritt, CA, in the late 1960s. She was one of only a handful of women’s sweep rowers at that point, and equipment and coaching were rare treats—she says her rowing was sporadic at best. She didn’t start sculling any significant amount until she moved to Philadelphia in 1989 (in her 40s) and started with Red and others at Bachelors Barge Club on Boathouse Row. “Red had a double and I asked him if would teach me to scull.”

“And did she ever learn,” affirms Red.

Red, 69, started rowing at eight in traditional row boats, became an Avalon, New Jersey beach lifeguard (where the requirements include rowing through the surf for rescues) in his teens and twenties and graduated to lighter rowing shells years later in Philadelphia.

They have been rowing together since 1989. Before you say it, let’s just get it out there: Married? Rowing together? Not one instance of jumping ship and swimming to shore in anger? Nope.

“It is difficult for married couples to row together,” says Sara.

“There’s not many who can,” confirms Red.

“I just keep my mouth shut,” says Sara.

Don’t cry foul on this comment, it is Red who defers to Sara on diet and training, where she is a diligent captain (sergeant?) making sure her team stays fit. She says that now her battle is a touchy lower back and slower recovery, for which she has a complex menu and routine for after races...particularly ones like Masters Nationals in the heat of New Jersey in August, where recovery speed was important for heats and finals.

“It’s harder to stay hydrated (in the 60s)” says Red. “It’s your electrolytes,” specifies Sara, who keeps after getting water and recovery drinks during race days.

The critical part of their success, suggests Red, is Sara’s strength. At 65, she has arms that would make a 20 year old envious, and not many 60+ year old women have so many years of strength training under their belt. As a pre-Title 9 woman athlete, her opportunities in sport in her early years were fewer, and there are only a handful of peers for Sara. She feels they exist in the triathlon population (they might switch to rowing!) and trains as if they are breathing down her neck. She says a lot of her strength training comes from exercises like pull-ups and push-ups, but also feels 1x training builds power as well. She’ll hit the gym more during the Philly winters.

They are both also big erg training and racing fans, so we may see them at the CRASH-Bs or other indoor champs. Until then!