“My gold medal was really the result of boat club rowing,” said Olympic medalist Joe Amlong, the guest of honor at an invitational cocktail reception last Tuesday at the Riomar home of Peter Stifel, hosted by supporters of the Indian River Rowing Club.
Amlong won the gold as a member of the U.S. men’s 8 rowing team at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. A 1961 graduate of West Point, he came from a military family and began rowing at 14 while the family was stationed in Belgium, later joining clubs in Germany, Alexandria, VA, and Philadelphia.
“I was excited to see it happening here,” said Amlong, who retired to Vero Beach in 2003 following a career in the military. “In Europe, boat clubs take care of rowers for life. I sure would like to see a boat club here that would bring everybody together.”
That sentiment is exactly what proponents of the IRRC have been saying for years.
“We tried to start a rowing club in 1981,” said Shotsi Lajoie, referring to her friend Chuck Sullivan.
“I could never figure out why there was no interest,” agreed Sullivan who, like Lajoie, had rowed in college. “You’ve got to get a critical mass; once you get it, it’s self-sustaining.”
Eventually established in Sebastian in 2008 by Trina Smith and Jim Ritenour, the IRRC has received greater visibility since moving its operation from the C-54 canal in Fellsmere to Vero Beach, where the club currently launches from the Water Treatment Plant at the western end of the Alma Lee Loy Bridge.
“Our club started in Sebastian and then the Masters moved to Vero and we started a youth team last year,” said Todd Young, board president. “We want to grow as much as we can. That’s why we’re here; to bring rowing to the rest of the county.”
“What we’re doing now is developing a rowing culture,” added Lajoie. “We’re looking for land for a building. We’re hopeful.”
Young explained that ideally the club hopes to build a facility north of the Barber Bridge where waters are more protected. “Where we are now is perfect for Youth Sailing [Foundation] but the wind and waves are bad for rowing.”
“If they were north of the Barber Bridge they could be rowing every single day,” agreed Lajoie.
Chris Ryan, a founder of the Three Rivers Rowing Association in Pittsburgh, now among the top community-based rowing clubs in the country, sees similar potential in Vero Beach.
“Rowing had a big influence on me; it changed my life for the better,” said Ryan.
He noted that despite the newness of the Vero youth teams – girls started in January of last year and boys in September – they have done very well in competitions around the state. The club would like to increase youth participation and also introduce programs for individuals with disabilities.
“It’s a sport we can take to the broader community in a way that cannot be accommodated with other sports,” said Ryan. “We’re going to need help from the community to make this happen. At some point we’re going to be looking for a lot of help. Someone could put their name on a really nice boathouse.”
The IRRC is open to all levels of experience. For more information, visit www.indianriverrowingclub.com.