By Kassandra Nevarez, Marketing and Communications Assistant
Our School Day Adaptive program, founded in 2011, brings rowing to children with disabilities from NYC’s Public School District 75. District 75 serves students with disabilities across the five boroughs. Our student-athletes learn to row at our Queens boathouse where they learn the basics on land then move into stable double-hull barges to perfect their technique on the water. The program runs for six weeks in the fall and ten weeks in the spring. It ends with our School Day Adaptive Culminating Event. During the event, our athletes get a chance to mingle and compete with students from the other schools we serve. The students warm up with a dance party then do relay races in which schools compete to row the most meters. After that, their teachers race each other for a 500m sprint, then the winners are announced and each school receives a completion certificate. We currently offer the program to ten schools and are looking forward to expanding in the coming years.This year’s event hosted more than 100 athletes, each one eager and excited to row!
From Jennie Trayes, Deputy Director:
Yuki and all of the District 75 students and teachers have been a pleasure to work with. They’re committed and game to try new things. It’s been amazing to see them fall in love with the sport and reap the benefits of it that we rowers know all too well. It shows how collaboration can have a real impact on a community, and we’re happy to continue the relationship into 2018.
The photos speak for themselves: our athletes love rowing.
A huge thank you to Carol Quijada, Denise Aquino, Angelina Margolis and Alexandra Olijnyk and for this year’s successful season!
If your school is interested in participating in our School Day Adaptive program, please email Denise Aquino, Director of Community Rowing, at DAquino@rownewyork.org.
