Five Questions with Atlanta Rowing Club's Jason Beagle

1) How did you get involved in rowing? At 32 years old, I was looking for a way to meet and connect with other people. I enrolled in a learn to row class at the DC Strokes Rowing Club in Washington, D.C., in 2007. I competed as a novice and joined the competitive team in 2008. 2) What roles and responsibilities in rowing do you perform on the local and national level now? Coaching rowing is a newfound passion. I was hesitant of the coaching seat for a long time. I recently passed the USRowing Level 3 High Performance Coaching Class. I am head coach of the Para rowing, Freedom Rows, and Learn to Row programs at Atlanta Rowing Club. In 2022, I became a USRowing technical classifier for Para rowing. My current board position at ARC is the community outreach chairperson. Recently, I was elected to the Board of the Friends of the Hooch, parent organization of the Head of the Hooch Regatta, where I coordinate the Para rowing events. 3) What was one or more formative experiences you had in your early rowing days you credit with your continued involvement today? Learning to row a single with Matt Muffelman in Oklahoma City helped reshape my future in rowing. It taught me how the paralysis from my 1994 spinal cord injury affected my stroke and off-set boats. It allowed me to engineer my own adaptive equipment and become a better rower. 4) What advice do you have for people who would like to start or expand a non-traditional rowing program? The first step is the hardest one. Overcoming the fear of that first action is key to starting anything. Find groups to work with. Allow others to help you. Reach out to other coaches for support. 5) Your most memorable row? Winning first place in the first Para rowing event at the Head of the Charles with Natalie McCarthy, Aerial Gilbert, and Kathy Byington in 2010 was an incredible experience.