Letter From Our CEO - July 2025

Dear USRowing Members,

What a bustling month July has been at USRowing!

We’ve celebrated two strong World Cup performances— in Varese and Lucerne—where our National Team athletes brought home a total of seven medals: two gold, four silver, and one bronze. Now they’re focused on gearing up for September's World Championships in Shanghai.

Back home, RowFest is in full swing in Michigan, with nearly 2,200 athletes racing—up 33% compared to last summer—and we’re proud to debut our International Rowing Challenge, featuring 108 athletes from four countries.

I also want to thank you—our members—for your honesty and engagement through our Voices in Rowing initiative this summer. We began with 40 meaningful 1:1 conversations with stakeholders and have since hosted six stakeholder forums, conducted a national survey, and are preparing for an all-member annual meeting on July 31 (please register here if you’d like to join). Your feedback—on more transparent communication, more in-person connection, and a better understanding of USRowing’s value—is precisely the kind that moves us forward. Later this summer, we’ll share a “What We Heard” summary, along with the following steps, including the formation of formal stakeholder leadership groups.

We’ve also been celebrating an incredible impact across the country: this month, USRowing awarded $80,000 in United We Row grants to 16 clubs supporting more than 400 athletes. These programs focus on adaptive rowing, LGBTQ+ access, and youth development in communities that need it most.

Looking ahead to LA 2028, we're strengthening our commitment to you—our members—and the entire rowing community. Everything we do ties back to our G.O.L.D. pillars—growth of the sport, organizational health, lasting membership value, and drive for excellence on the world stage.

Thank you for racing, coaching, volunteering, leading, and pushing us to be better every day. Together, we’re building something powerful—on and off the water.

With gratitude,

Amanda