In order to spotlight our board members for all of the wonderful things they do for Row New York, we will be periodically posting profiles highlighting their accomplishments. The wonderful Sarah Bates Johnson is the first spotlight of this series.
Even before she joined our board of directors this past fall, Sarah Bates Johnson was no stranger to Row New York’s programs. Over the last four years she has served as mentor, tutor, and volunteer coach to our athletes. She brings to the board an unrivaled understanding of how our students develop and how to help us prepare them to be the best people and athletes they can be.
Sarah brings a long and storied rowing career to the position. Beginning at the St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire and continuing to improve her technique at Harvard on the Radcliffe lightweight team, Sarah capped off her career by rowing for the 2007 National Team in the women’s lightweight quad.
The combination of personal and team effort in rowing is what makes the sport so special to her. “There’s always improvement to be made personally, things to tweak. However, my teammates over the years have really been the reason I love it so much—I’ve been on so many great teams with amazing people that keep inspiring me!”
Sarah says that her favorite part of our program is interacting with the students and watching them grow. “I love that the program has so many components — you get to know the kids in different settings. You get to see what amazing young people they are in addition to being talented rowers.” Although her favorite memories have been Halloween rows and mixed boats, the entire Row New York experience is one she’s excited to be part of.
We are very thankful to have Sarah on our team, and we’re excited to draw on her expertise to enrich our programs. Welcome, Sarah!
