After sharing an empowering experience of rowing with a dozen remarkable women over a dozen weekly sessions, Coaches Isake Smith and Adam Berger successfully concluded a winter indoor adaptive program this past Friday. Our partnership with The Initiative for Women with Disabilities, Elly and Steve Hammerman Health and Wellness Center at NYU Langone Medical Center (I.W.D.) facilitated this opportunity.
Friday’s session occurred amid satisfaction from participants, coaches, and program partners. Coach Isake said the women’s progress over time was extremely impressive. She added that our program partners found this year’s improvement among participants even greater than in past years.
The IWD athletes themselves had plenty of reasons to persevere in their pursuit of progress. When asked what they wanted to get out of rowing, they gave a variety of enthusiastic answers. Jackie Moreno responded, “I want to get strong and lose weight. Unlike other sports, rowing is easily adaptable for me in my wheelchair. I can row with just my arms.” “I like socializing and feeling part of a team,” Tashena Pajotte added. In answer to the question of what keeps them rowing, Soo Lee said, “I’m attached to the erg! I love watching the numbers go up and down and watching my time change!” Ashley Anderson tied her love of rowing to her personality, saying, “I get to see my friends and I am really competitive. I love to compete!”
In the spirit of celebrating this achievement, the participants gathered on Friday to congratulate each other and pull hard on the ergs. These turns on the ergs were the last of this season for the IWD women, but probably among the first in a lifetime of exercise and confidence-building. For many of the women, rowing is a special chance to build strength and hone their physical fitness, things that are sometimes more challenging for people with disabilities. Moreover, the social benefits of having so many vibrant personalities in one room together cannot be underestimated.
Thank you to Suzanne Hurwitz and IWD for their cooperation in this program.
