USRowing and NRF Announce Legacy Membership Status for all U.S. Olympians

USRowing, in partnership with the National Rowing Foundation, is proud to announce that all athletes and recognized coaches who have represented the United States at the Summer Olympic Games will receive a complimentary, lifetime Legacy Membership.

The Legacy Membership will provide national competition eligibility, product discounts, additional insurance coverage, exclusive educational resources, a monthly issue of ROWING Magazine, and voting privileges that help shape the future of USRowing.

“Olympians are our sport’s most important ambassadors,” said USRowing CEO Patrick McNerney about our Legacy Members. “As part of the national team family, we want to encourage all of our Olympians to connect with their teammates and the National Rowing Foundation at events throughout the year including the NRF/USRowing tent at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the San Diego Crew Classic reunion and additional events that will be announced in the near future. We are excited to connect with our Olympians and use their rowing experiences to enhance those of everyone involved in our sport.”

The National Rowing Foundation provides critical athlete support, which directly impacts today’s national team and Olympic team.

“The Legacy Membership is a great opportunity for the National Rowing Foundation and USRowing to emphasize that regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve raced for the USA, the principles of the sport are the same,” said Mara Keggi Ford, executive director of the NRF. “That common bond of representing our country is an experience, a memory, and a journey that never changes. We hope that the Legacy Membership enables Olympians to continue their history with the sport and be a part of the growth of rowing across our country.”

If you are an Olympian and need assistance accessing your member profile through the USRowing Membership Portal, please email traci.stocker@usrowing.org or call 609-751-0706.

North Stonington, Conn., January 24, 2018 —The Board of Directors of the NRF announced at their Annual Meeting that Mara Keggi Ford, Associate Director of the NRF has assumed the leadership role of the Foundation as the Acting Executive Director. This announcement was made concurrently with the announcement that Charles Hamlin, the NRF’s Executive Director, was retiring.

Jamie Koven, co-chair of the NRF’s Board of Directors, commended Charlie on his service, “Charlie served as the NRF’s Executive Director for five years from 2013 to 2017 which included the four years of the Rio Olympic cycle and the first year of the Tokyo quadrennium. During his tenure the NRF raised nearly $6.5 million to support the preparation, selection and participation of our Junior and Senior athletes in their respective World Championships and our Olympic athletes, in the Rio Games. We shall miss his dedication and commitment to our sport and to our athletes.”

“At the fast approaching age of 71, I felt it was time to pass the reins of the NRF to Mara Ford, my right and left hand for the last five years and to seek out new adventures, race in even more masters’ regattas, spend more time with Ellen, my sons and Henry, my grandson. I will forever be grateful for the camaraderie, friendships, generosity and goodwill of the national team community and its many supporters”, Charlie Hamlin commented at the Meeting.

Marcia Hooper, co-chair of the NRF’s Board of Directors, commented that “Mara Ford brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and management skills to her new role at the NRF. She has a terrific breadth of knowledge and experience to lead our fundraising efforts going forward.”

Mara joined the NRF in 2009, and has been an integral member of the NRF team running all NRF events, managing the NRF’s day to day operations, growing the donor community, and assisting with all fundraising efforts supporting US National Team Rowers.  Mara is a three time US National Rowing Team Member and Olympian, is familiar with the needs of the athletes and is committed to increasing the support for USA Rowers to win medals in Tokyo and beyond.

Mara Ford stated “I look forward to my new role and am excited to see what we can accomplish. As an Olympian I know what it takes to succeed, and will continue to work tirelessly to provide for the future success of the US National Rowing Teams.”

About the National Rowing Foundation

The National Rowing Foundation’s mission is to support athletes who pursue excellence in the sport of rowing with the primary goal of promoting the United States’ participation in international rowing competitions, provide for the preservation of rowing history, and manage the National Rowing Hall of Fame.  https://www.natrowing.org

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For additional information:  Mara Keggi Ford (203) 525-6566, National Rowing Foundation; E-mail: info@natrowing.org

Location – Sarasota, Florida

The National Rowing Hall of Fame – Class of 2016 Induction ceremony took place in Sarasota, Florida on April 23, 2016. For a recap of the event, including photographs, please visit row2k for more details.

The Class of 2016 Induction ceremony happened at the same time as the 2016 Olympic Rowing trials in Sarasota at Nathan Benderson Park. The weekend was a great celebration of rowing, honoring the inductees from the Class of 2016 and the athletes racing to represent the US at the Rio Olympics in the following boat classes; W1x, M1x, W2x, M2x, LW2x, LM2x, M4x.