As 2022 comes to a close, we wanted to reach out to you to give you an update on the NRF and let you know how your support has been helping the national team. In this shortened quadrennial, the Paris Olympics and Paralympics are now just around the corner and 2023 is the qualifying year for the Games which means our team is preparing for those coveted Olympic and Paralympic qualification spots. Your support has been key to the team preparation to date so please continue to give in whatever form you want.
Since 1966 the NRF has been supporting national team athletes and our core mission remains unchanged. Earlier this year the NRF board made the decision to formalize a new grant making process. Our goal is to maximize opportunities for US athletes on a pathway to the Olympic and Paralympic podiums, as well as for emerging athletes from underrepresented groups who have that potential. This approach enables the NRF to support our best athletes wherever they choose to train, in close coordination with USRowing CHPO Josy Verdonkschot and his multi-training center strategy. The Grants Committee is made up of 12 highly qualified NRF board members, including Olympians and national team alumni, with experience on the USRowing board and World Rowing commission and including former chairs of the USRowing board and High Performance Committee. This grant committee meets frequently to decide how your donations can best be used to support our national team athletes. The organizations listed below have received NRF grants this year to support the needs of the athletes as they train as part of their programs. We have posted our grant application form on our website.
For 2022, the NRF has allocated grants totaling $664k to 6 grantees, including specific projects and athlete support. The grantees and use of funds are as follows:
- USRowing ($409k) – USRowing requested funds for the Women’s and Men’s selection camps over the summer as well as training for the selected crews prior to those athletes traveling to the Worlds in September in Racice, Czech Republic. In addition, the NRF provided direct athlete support funds to the athletes training for the 2023 Worlds.
- California Rowing Club ($100k) – 11 of the 24 U.S. men racing in Olympic events at the 2022 World Rowing Championships trained at the CRC in 2022. The Rogers family has committed millions of dollars to help support these athletes through the 2028 Olympics and beyond. Even though our donation is a small amount compared to what the Rogers family is contributing, we are the only national organization to donate to the CRC. We believe it shows our collective support for the effort they have underway in Oakland, CA. Half of the amount we committed to CRC this year was in the form of matching grants to also help encourage other new donors to support CRC.
- Texas Rowing Center – High Performance ($100k) 6 TRCHP athletes raced in Olympic events at the 2022 World Championships. Matt Knifton and other donors at the TRC have done a terrific job of recruiting world class coaches and athletes down to Austin, TX. Our grants totaling $100k in 2022 represent the largest support to TRCHP outside of local support. Half of the amount committed is in the form of matching grants.
- ARION ($40k) – 2 scullers in Olympic events at the 2022 World Championships trained at ARION in 2022. ARION (Advanced Rowing Initiative of the Northeast) has been developing national team scullers in Saratoga, NY for the past decade. Our efforts have helped to accelerate these efforts and through matching grants, we have also helped ARION to find additional donors.
- Lightweight Women’s Double ($7k) – We are delighted to have been asked to provide financial support to Michelle Sechser (Folsom, CA/University of Tulsa) and Molly Reckford (Short Hills, NJ/Dartmouth College), the US Women’s Lightweight Double. The crew returned quickly to form after placing 5th in the Tokyo Olympics They earned a silver medal at the 2022 Worlds and are looking forward to competing again next summer.
- PR3 Mixed Double ($7.5k) – We are delighted to have been asked to provide financial support to Pearl Outlaw and Todd Vogt, the US PR3 Mixed Double, which will be added to the Paris 2024 Paralympics. They finished fifth at the 2022 Worlds and are looking forward to competing again next summer.
We encourage you to support the national team in whatever form you prefer, whether it’s through the NRF, USRowing, one of the high performance clubs or directly to local athletes that are chasing their dream. If you would like to support the national team athletes via the NRF, please click on the “Donate Today” button below.
Thank you for your support,
Jamie Koven and Marcia Hooper
National Rowing Foundation
Co-chairs
