BY LUKE REYNOLDS
PHOTO PROVIDED
Seize the Oar, a foundation dedicated to serving the para-rowing community hosted its second virtual meeting June 9.
The event, hosted via Zoom at 12p eastern, was a “facilitated, but casual conversation for para coaches, athletes, and program volunteers to continue a conversation about next steps to getting back on the water,” according to the Seize the Oar website.
The first virtual meeting had more than 70 attendees from five countries.
“I think the point of it [the zoom meetings] is to have a two-way dialogue,” Morgan said. “It’s a pull strategy, not a push strategy. The pull is ‘here’s some stuff to chew on.’ Whether it’s racial equity, Black Lives Matter, inclusion tactics, or your particular return to rowing guideline development.
“What we’ve found is that the people who are coming to it are not just coaches. They are athletes, admins, volunteers, families, as well as people interested in para-programs. We’re also seeing a global interest. I think we’ve landed on a very safe, friendly, but very motivated group of people.”
Seize the Oar is a nonprofit started in 2013 by Tara Morgan when she started coaching an athlete who suffered a spinal cord injury.
“It’s been about seven and a half years now,” Morgan said. “We have a racing team that currently holds the record at the Head of the Charles arms and shoulders only in the double.
“We do three things: adaptive team training, we have an outreach division where we partner with organizations like Seattle Children’s Hospital, Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, Rowing Adventure Day, and thought leadership, like the para meetups, forthcoming adaptive rowing coaching certification program and content development like videos and guides to para-rowing.”
The next Global Para-Rowing Meetups will take place June 23. Registration can be found here.
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