Follow the Money

One of my good friends asked me on my trip how clubs compare in their priorities with teams. This was a fantastic question that I hadn’t actually thought to ask. Once I started asking, there was a theme that developed – follow the money. Maybe this is not very surprising, but let’s talk about it.

The programs that bring in more money get priority of time, equipment, coaching…etc. This, most often, is the juniors/youth programs. After all, the youth are our future, right?  

When in Colorado Springs, I got an excellent education from various employees at US Olympic Committee Headquarters regarding the progression athletes take and where resources are put in place to help them develop.

It’s all about having a wide base for athletes to get involved, try the sport, and test the waters (for rowing, literally). Then programs aimed at high performance development can pull from this large pool of athletes. The larger the pool – the more advanced the athletes will likely be when taken to the next level.

This pool stems from junior programs and goes into junior high performance and national teams and goes into college programs and into under 23 training programs and into high performance national team training and to the Olympics and to gold medals. Gold medals bring home money. Follow the money.

The Olympics have been around for a long time (rowing in the Olympics since the debut in 1900 for men and 1976 for women), and there is a large pool of able-bodied athletes/participants in sports that are very interested in the Olympics. The Olympics bring in a great deal of money. If you follow the money, the sport has has a lot of money for men’s rowing programs. It was only the Title IX  push that forced programs to equal out their funding for women’s sports which has boosted women’s rowing to a higher level in the past 20 years.

The Olympics are great and all, but what about the Paralympics? The Paralympics definitely also bring in money, but it is less, so the focus is also less. If I had to guess, I’d throw out a 80/20 Olympic/Paralympic focus based on what I’ve seen. Hopefully this will keep on changing every year. Given that para-rowing was introduced in 2008 in Beijing, we have a long way to go still to make a name for the sport. Currently, the money is driving a huge focus on recruiting disabled veterans for adaptive sports since the majority of Paralympic support comes from the Department ofDefense. Programs follow the money – find the veterans.

All athletes with disabilities hopefully benefit, including people with congenital disabilities, youth with disabilities, workers injured on the job, people injured through accidents…etc. But having veterans in your program will help with some of the money issues.

Then there is the Department of Education’s emphasis on the1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act giving the directive that schools and colleges must offer equal access to interscholastic, intramural and intercollegiate athletics for all students (including those with disabilities). This is a huge directive, but so far no real money has backed it. Follow the money – directives are good, but money is still needed in most areas to really implement this. 

The other issue with prioritizing is that all boathouse have limited equipment, space, coaching staff…etc. It would be great to be able to equally support every program, but there has to be a system to organize programming, right? The hierarchy that develops from the money also many times dictates the schedule.  Many teams use the same equipment, coaches, space, water and so priorities are needed to help everything run smoothly.

If the choice is between an adaptive practice or a junior practice at a given time – I’d imagine most often the junior practice would happen. Here is the typical hierarchy I’ve seen at clubs on my journey.

1.  College/Nationally Competitive program
2.  Juniors
3. Camps, Events & Rowing Leagues
4. Masters – who can only row/use equipment when juniors/colleges not using it
5. Adaptive – preferably at off-peak hours

Adaptive programs are mostly separated from membership. They mostly use different equipment (no or extremely limited overlap with other program use), they many times have different coaches and use volunteers who could come from anywhere. Their budgets are also many times separated from the club budget, or maybe they are a completely different non-profit that just uses space within another rowing club. The main thing that overlaps is the dock space. Adaptive practices are not necessarily quick on the docks and that is a big factor in terms of setting up practices. Point is that adaptive programs need support, and support comes in many forms – but one method of support is key in taking them to the next level and giving them the attention that will help them get to the next level: money.

So my challenge to you is this, next time you donate to your local rowing club, or to any rowing program, consider tagging your donation specifically for adaptive. Help encourage clubs to pay attention and develop these programs by making them follow the money.  

You have no idea how much any sized gift whether it be $25 or $20,000 can have an impact. I’d love to talk to you about it if you are considering making a donation. If you want a boat with your name on it – remember that adaptive boats are cheaper than able-bodied racing shells. If you want to support a program developing where you grew up, learned to row, currently live – talk to me. I can tell you exactly how you can help open up the sport of Para-Rowing, or check out this list of adaptive programs and contact one of them directly. 

Women’s rowing is up and running these days. The fight for equality is just starting for people with disabilities. Help ensure that everyone has access to the freedom found on the water. Twenty years from now you can look back and see that you were part of the para-rowing revolution. Won’t that be fun!

Independence

What does it mean to be independent? Here are some definitions:

1) Not subject to control by others

2) Not requiring or relying on something else

3) Not requiring or relying on others (as for care or livelihood)

I have always been pretty independent, but no one starts independent. On my trip I've had the chance to stay with friends who have children of all ages - the youngest being 6 weeks old, and the eldest being a teenager. Babies are quite obviously dependent on everyone and everything around them to exist and survive in this world. Teenagers on the other hand are somewhat independent depending on the situation. It's amazing how humans gradually become independent adults. 

However, as we move through adulthood we are still learning about more about being independence – there are still a lot of firsts to get through. For example: making decisions about jobs/work, buying a house, setting up retirement funds, doing taxes, managing a budget, moving for work to a new city, dealing with illness and death of family members/parents/grandparents…etc. Each step has a new element of risk to it, and when we take that risky move it pushes us to a new level of independence.

Independence is a learned trait. The more you practice, the more skilled you become at handling these situations. And skill can be quite impressive. I’m always impressed with people who know all the angles for filing taxes, or people who have interviewed and negotiated for jobs/salaries so much that they are great at getting exactly what they want/need, or people who can flip houses or purchase property and turn a profit. These folks had to start somewhere before they became experts.

In sports, some of the learned skills from being independent are what I call, “party tricks” such as:

• Carrying oars and a single at the same time on a long hike to/from the docks (especially AFTER a hard workout)
• Knocking a water bottle off the road using the front tire of the bike while competing in the Tour de France (did you see that happen – amazing!)
• Being able to independently get upright again in the chair after getting knocked over during a wheelchair basketball game
• A completely blind slalom athlete who is able to recover from a slip-up on the slopes during the Paralympics and somehow stay on course

These things do not just happen, or come naturally to anyone. They require a desire to master the sport, some attempts that include failures, and a mental approach that is full of grit. All of these things also don’t necessarily make you win or faster, but they show a lot of comfort with the equipment and make people aware that they have spent a lot of time practicing. This is why they can be so impressive to witness – because you KNOW they have worked hard to make these things look easy.

If someone is always doing something for you, you never learn you can do it for yourself. Imagine the situations listed above not being done alone, but done with help. With becoming independent people need to have the ability to fail and succeed depending on their own effort, then learn from the experience to apply it for next time. Hence why over-protective parents hurt the future independence of their children, right? They never learn for themselves how to do and handle things without help. To gain such a high level of skilled independence you have to have faith that you will adapt and figure things out, or as Nike would say, “Just Do It.”

I think most people would agree that this trip I'm on at the moment requires a pretty high level of independence. However, there is a whole new level of independence that I'm finding both in how I handle the logistics of things and in realizing and appreciating my independence in a deeper way. 

The biggest logistic concern I had about my trip before setting out was how I would handle the dynamic of traveling with a boat and a dog everywhere.

• How will I get around cities (and park) with a huge boat on my car or will I need to/be able to find places to store it (for free)?
• Will I be able to get my boat off/on my car by myself?
• Where can I launch to row at all my stops? Will there be water access?
• How will I go rowing when I have Bundle with me? 
• Will Bundle be good? Will I be able to manage and coach her as needed? 
• How will Bundle handle kids, other dogs, cats, chickens at all the places I’m staying? 
• How can I keep Bundle cool through the hot and/or humid climates? 

These are questions that come up constantly and that can't necessarily be planned 100%. But until I just get going I won't know if it will work or not, so I had to have a level of faith that it will work out. I can't prepare for everything, I just have to go for it and figure it out. Somehow, so far, it has worked out!

Being an AB, I have very little idea what it’s like to go out into this world independently in a wheelchair. From interacting with friends and athletes in chairs I have learned to analyze the answers to these following few questions about every single place I go from the perspective of someone with a disability. It is interesting to gain awareness to things that for so many years you never had on your radar.

-       Will there be parking that someone in a wheelchair can get into/out of?

-       Can someone in a wheelchair get into the place where I’m going?

-       If he/she can get in, is the bathroom accessible?

Having additional logistics to think through about my trip (dog/boat) is maybe giving me a bit of an idea of the logistics some of my friends and athletes have to think through or prepare to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Just because there are uncertainties doesn’t mean I should limit any of my activities, after all, my friends and athletes who have to deal with additional logistics don’t limit themselves, so why should I?

After six weeks, I’m starting to develop some of those party trick skills with my boat and dog too. And these party tricks are helping me navigate the next stops more independently and with more confidence in my ability to get around.

Carrying my boat has been one of the more stressful things. When you have it in one spot at your home boathouse, you get used to getting it down and putting it back in one way over and over and over again. You get REALLY good at it. It can then be a challenge to adapt to carrying it a million different ways in different places. Also, every boat club has their own culture of dock etiquette. For example, at the Pocock Center in Seattle the etiquette is to spend no more than 20 seconds with your boat on the dock before removing it or shoving off. Not that someone has a timer, but literally people are standing there waiting to put boats in right next to you while others are docking as if you weren't there because "you'll be gone by the time my boat drifts into place." So amazing to see this well oiled machine work in the morning, but kinda stressful for a first-timer in that culture. I wouldn't have known I could be so fast on/off the dock until I was forced to try it. Guess what? I figured it out! Another boat carrying example has been getting my boat on/off my car by myself. My shining moment recently was when I was putting it back on the top of a rolling rack using a step ladder using a similar method I use for putting it on my car and having someone see this and actually tell me, "that's a nifty trick." I might have even blushed a little at that one. I have a new relationship with my boat, one where I feel pretty capable of how to handle her in most situations, and that I can do it fairly quickly and skillfully. I'm even able to carry my oars and boat a long distance after a workout now :) 

As for Bundle, she has been a trooper and we haven't had any real issues. I'm glad I did some serious thinking before I left about what she might need on the trip. One of the hardest things with her has been figuring out how to get her to eat regularly - both of us have lost a little weight on this trip. It’s taken some time, but we’ve figured out how to make it feel enough like home on the road for her to be comfortable and be on some type of feeding schedule. This trip has enhanced our relationship so much. She and I are able to read each other that much better these days, and we are better at handling what life throws at us. For example, prior to this trip I've never tied up Bundle outside of a store before, and now she handles that well and even enjoys it. I’ve also learned that she can be quite protective of me – something I never thought she was capable of with her sweet demeanor towards everyone and everything. We have both adjusted to this new way of living and are enjoying the adventure together.

Point of all of this is: keep challenging yourself to become more independent. The more you do, the more you learn about yourself and learn skills that will come in handy later. That and don’t limit yourself. Life is supposed to be risky – that’s what keeps us growing. If you only do things you feel safe and comfortable doing, life will be pretty dull.

Tips from a Road Traveler

From all of my road trips I have learned a few things. I’d like to share some of this road trip knowledge with you in case you find any of it helpful in planning your own adventure by road. *NOTE: As I realize/think of more, I may add to this list in the future (Last added to on 8/20/14).

1. Never take the same route twice  (if there are other options): When I traveled up to Seattle from Austin for summers in college, I always tried to take a different path: up the coast, through Colorado, and even if I went through the same area, I tried to at least take a different road – I-5 vs 101 vs scenic roads. This way I get to see different things and experience different communities. This goal has continued, even if some of the key cities remain the same.
2. Decide if you’re in a rush or not ahead of time: My most rushed trip was from Seattle to Austin in 40hrs (stopping on the side of the road in Cheyenne to sleep in my backseat for 6hrs. Then there are trips where I take all the countryside tours and go to the local tourist attractions like where I can drive through a huge redwood tree, hang out on a beach, row on a lake nearby…etc. When I decide, “I just need to get there” versus, “I’m going to take my time” I have an excellent trip. However, the worst trips or legs of trips have been when I want to both do lots of things on the way AND get to my next stop by the evening or when I have a deadline restricting my time. It’s guaranteed you won’t enjoy the stops and you’ll be frustrated and arrive late and tired. Make sure to decide before you head out what your goals are for the day.
3. It’s best to plan your night stops (especially during summer/tourist seasons): It seems fine to say, “I’m going to see how far I can drive before I get tired and then stop somewhere.” However, during tourist/summer season this doesn’t necessarily work. I’ve done this a couple of times and both times have only realized that camp site locations sometimes aren’t easy to find on the fly, and that when I do find them, they tend to be full unless you made a reservation. I even went to a hotel and they were all booked up. Therefore, if you know you have a two day trip, I recommend planning your stop and setting it up in advance, so that you know you’re all set for it if you can.
4. Decide what experiences you will regret most if you miss out on them and do those: If you have limited time, I have found this system is a great way to help me edit my trip. I have had so many people to meet up with, things to do, places to go – it’s just impossible to do everything and sleep and stay on some kind of schedule. For example, would I most regret not going dancing with a bunch of people I don’t really know, or would I most regret not spending quality time with a friend who I haven’t seen in 10 years.  Another might be, will I regret not sleeping a full night tonight before the long drive tomorrow, or will I regret not getting another chance to row on the waters in the early morning. – serious questions that require serious thought. The decisions greatly impact the trip and so far I’ve only made a couple of decisions I wish I had changed.
5. Give yourself a day off: Traveling is exhausting. As an over-planner I have on my google calendar the blocks of time allotted for travel, and then everything else I’m doing as if it’s all just part of a normal day. However, traveling is exhausting. Sometimes I can go straight from traveling to being functional working or socializing mode. But sometimes that just isn’t possible. Sleep, rest, time for thought, journaling and quietness need to happen – EVEN for extroverts! After all, most people get a day off or a weekend off. When on the road, you also need a day off or two from traveling. I have been in amazing places and been so exhausted that I didn’t want to row, hike, explore and really just wanted to stay on the sofa and do nothing or catch up on SYTYCD. So depressing to want to do nothing when you know you’ll miss out on stuff. This recovery time has to be allowed in order to be ready for the fun that is waiting in the next day.  
6. Invest in people: Places are cool and things are cool, but I personally really love people. What I tend to enjoy most about going to places and to see things is the time spent with someone who I’m doing it with. Traveling is a great way to gain perspective, have meaningful conversations and develop relationships with strangers, new friends and old friends. I have not once regretted spending time with someone on this trip, and I have been very glad I’ve worked so hard to see as many people as I can fit in on my journey. As an extrovert, this has also helped re-energize me and excite me about continuing the trip.  Even if I’m doing things alone many times I get suggestions from people I care about and get to do them knowing that I can now share this experience with that person since it’s their favorite thing to do, place to eat.
7. Books on tape: Books on tape are awesome. I’m not really listening to them for trips that are shorter than four hours, or for trips that I’m trying to do lots of scenic stops, but for the longer trips where I’m just burning asphalt they just eat up the time beautifully. In particular, I’ve been listening to the CS Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve read these many times, seen various versions of the movies and this almost makes it better. It doesn’t matter if my brain spaces out or starts drifting because I can get back into the story no problem. I highly recommend this option for the killer portions of travel.
8. Use anger and naps: There are two ways to push through driving when you are tired. The first is advice directly from my mother: Get angry! You probably know the saying “don’t go to bed angry.” Well it’s actually really hard to go to bed if you’re feeling angry, right? Your brain is racing, your body is reacting, it just doesn’t really work. When you’re driving then – if you can make yourself really angry, it actually is awesome and giving you more alert driving time. The second is just as effective, although it adds time to your trip: TAKE A NAP! I am really lucky that I can basically sleep anywhere in any position. Including leaning up against the bags on the passenger side (with the emergency brake digging into my side), curled up in the small pocket of space in the backseat meant for bundle...WHILE bundle was there too, lying down with my back on the drivers seat with my feet in the air/out the window and my head on a pillow by the emergency brake. Yes, I am wicked talented at sleeping. A few of these have resulted in my leg(s) going completely to sleep – an interesting experience with some more funny stories that go along with it. However, these 10-30 minutes naps allow me to be alert for a few more hours of driving! I keep a blanket, pillow and eye mask readily available at all times while driving. Pull over and find a way to take a nap – it’s way better than hitting yourself, singing loudly to punk rock or hip hop, or jumping up and down in your seat while driving to stay away for an extended period of time.
9. Bathroom and Gas stops are no laughing matter: Most people have had a panic moment about getting gas, but more recently I had a panic moment about finding a restroom. Both of these things can be a time suck for trips. If you wait until you need gas, then you might end up going well out of your way to finally get it. Same goes for bathrooms. I’ve gone 15 minutes out of my way for gas because I was at “15 miles left” AH! You have to do it, so you do. I’ve also bought meals, drinks and snuck into a roadside port-a-potty. As much as I hate stopping, I encourage stopping when you can at good stops for both of these services, before either becomes a dire need. I have found if I need to pee – I also get gas and vice versa. Even if I’m only putting a few gallons in the tank it makes the stop worthwhile and means I don’t have to do another stop before I have to use the bathroom again (hopefully). 
10. Always pack a nice outfit: I definitely over-packed for this trip. When I was in Spokane I actually sent a huge box of stuff home as I realized I’d prefer the space in the car to a few of these extraneous items. Having a nice outfit has not really been necessary, but it has come in handy. On a trip, you never know when someone is going to invite you to a nice dinner or event. It’s good to not always look homeless and have the option of passing for a normal human when the moment arises. Lucky for me I had a couple of nice outfits for a wedding that have seen other unexpected uses. 
11. It’s fun to have things that get people’s attention: I’m traveling with a huge dog and a boat on my car. This attracts attention in a fantastic way. For the dog I meet anyone in my path that loves dogs, has ever known another Bernese Mountain Dog, or who is amazed by how beautiful and sweet my dog is. Then the boat attracts anyone who likes water sports, has ever rowed or has a family member who rowed. Both of these things have led to me finding out a lot about people, making some neat acquaintances, reinforcing how small of a world this really is, and finding out cool things to do with my dog in the area or places I should go row – or people I should row with. Having something that encourages people to interact with you on a road trip definitely adds some extra fun. As I get further away form Pennsylvania, just my license plate does this a bit too, so it doesn’t have to be a huge dog or a boat, but having something makes the journey a little more interesting.
12. Say “YES” to things: When strangers come up to me to start talking about dogs, rowing, or traveling they typically have suggestions or ideas to share. I have learned it is best to listen to these and take notes! As much of a tourist as I sometimes am, many of the cities I’ve gone to I’ve somewhat done the key touristy things. I would much prefer to do the things local people do and enjoy to truly experience the city as the locals see it. In order to do this, you have to be open to talking to strangers and saying yes to crazy ideas that turn into epic adventures and bonding experiences.
13. Have a food plan: Food and drinks are expensive. I have really done well with an incredibly limited budget. Three things that I packed have helped with this. First, is a cooler - one that can plug into my car’s power outlet to keep things cool (sometimes I still throw in a bag of ice though). This holds my smoothie makings, salad stuff, some kind of snack meat, keeps my drinks cool). Second, is my nutri bullet blender, which I use daily to make my morning and/or mid-day smoothies. I make up portion sized sandwich baggies full of fruit, nuts…etc for these every couple of weeks. I have found just adding water works which makes it a little simpler to manage than having to keep juice around. Third, is my soda stream machine,which gives me all the bubbles I could ever want for my trip. On top of this I have a bag of snacky items for the trip (Fig Newtons, Triscuits, Bread, Peanut Butter, Nuts, Honey). My plan for travel days has been typically to do a smoothie in the morning, a PB sandwich mid-day, a salad at night and a couple of snacks between. When I’m with friends I usually have a “normal” meal to replace something – definitely love going to people’s houses for meals. The point to all of this is that you can’t just get on the road without a food plan because that is too expensive and difficult. What will you eat, where will you get it, how will you store leftovers…etc
14. Fat is your friend: A couple of times I’ve bought a rotisserie chicken to have for meals on the road. I have usually not been all about eating the super fatty parts of these, but man those have been what makes the chicken really last! If I didn’t eat that, I would’ve eaten more of the chicken and it wouldn’t have lasted four meals. Fat has it’s role, and when you’re on a budget it’s not a thing to waste. If you only eat super healthy, low fat stuff you’ll eat SO MUCH and have to pack SO MUCH. A little fat goes a long way. 
15. Small portions & snacks are best: Yes, I’m talking a lot about food here. But when you have to stay alert and drive 7-10hrs many days in sequence, and row daily, and interact with people constantly for work-type activities nutrition is SO important. Many times it’s always just a “what is available” mindset for me with food. I’ve never really been super conscious about what or how much I eat, apart from eating “healthy” with only moderate junk/sweet/unhealthy foods. However, once I ate a heavy lunch and it knocked out my afternoon – NEVER again! Eating large meals on a road trip are a terrible idea. You need your body to be ready to go at all times. Snacks are better.
16. Alcohol isn’t worth it: Going back to the discussion of making decisions based on what you’ll regret more if you don’t do it: Would you rather spend money on booze or gas to get to the next place? My answer is gas. I have really tried to NOT spend money on alcohol. I have a few times, but most of those times I wish I hadn’t. Not because I didn’t have fun, but just because it’s so not worth it. I had planned to have this approach before setting out on my adventure. Alcohol is dehydrating and doesn’t help my body recover or function well even the day after. I tend to keep my body at a slight level of dehydration for the long trips anyway and I definitely DON’T need any help with that from drinking – I need help recovering from that afterwards! For trips on the road, vacation…etc,, alcohol is just useless. It would be more fun to spend the money to go sailing, zip lining, surfing, see live music, or for gas to get to the next stop. However, if someone is going to treat me to a drink – I might take him/her up on that.
17. Maps are better than GPS: As useful as GPS devices and phones are at giving directions, they do not really stand the test for road trips. There are times when the GPS signal goes away and times when they seem to get stalled or not function very well. Prior to this trip I always used AAA Trip Tiks. These are fantastic things that give you a flipbook of pages showing the route for your journey from point A to B to C to D…etc. Each page then opens up to show you the full detail of the surrounding roads for that page’s leg of the journey. I swear by these things and highly recommend them (although they can take a couple of weeks for AAA to print up, so require some preparation). However, a regular map works as well and given that the route of my trip changes sometimes weekly the Trip Tiks just haven’t been possible for me. I have primarily been using my phone’s GPS. If you are going to do this I have learned the importance of WRITING OUT directions prior to leaving. Seriously, you can’t rely on your phone only. I also find it useful to study the map before heading out so I can have a big picture of my orientation with everything.
18. Wear sunblock on your left arm/leg: This is especially important when driving west in the US as the sun is south of you and therefore glares right through the driver’s side window. Wearing sunblock prevents getting burned, but it also has seemed to help me regulate my temperature better. The sunblock helps keep my arm cooler although in the sun.
19. Plan for your traveling companion (dog): My dog Bundle has been taking up the area behind the passenger side of the back of my car (back seats down). To keep her cool I have the AC vents aimed up so the air gets to her faster. I also have her hyperkewl mat back there claiming her space. If it’s hot, I can wet that and it helps keep her cool. Note that she refuses to lie on this mat anytime other than in the car when she’s forced to. Now that I’m about to start traveling east, I am debating moving her to behind the drivers side or getting one of those sun block window screens they have for babies to prevent the sun from hitting her directly.
20. Accept anything without a lid spilling: If you bring something into the car that doesn't have a lid on it, be okay with it spilling. It's a similar motto of lending things out, "When you lend something be prepared to lose it forever. If you get it back, that's bonus." In the car this goes for smoothies, sodas, dog water bowl, dog food bowl...etc. If there's no lid, know there is a chance of spillage. Therefore, be prepared for spillage. Have a clean-up plan. Clorox wipes, paper towels, maybe a full on towel...etc. 
21. Bring a piece of home with you: When you are growing up you might have had a stuffed animal or a blanket that was special to you. I recommend people of all ages do something like this. Sleeping in different beds, temperatures, environments...etc and waking up feeling rested can be a challenge. I have my memory foam pillow with me and this ensures that all beds feel like my bed (to a certain degree). Super helpful