United We Row Summit

Join an intimate conversation with rowing icons Arshay Cooper and Justin Best while Amanda Kraus moderates. These two accomplished athletes understand what success in rowing truly means. One is a Benjamin Franklin Award-winning author, the protagonist of the critically acclaimed film A Most Beautiful Thing, a Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport, a motivational speaker, and an activist. The other is a rower and Gold Medalist in the Paris 2024 Olympic Men's 4-. Both deeply passionate about rowing, they come together today to discuss what the sport needs to do to attract more participants, sustain its growth, and evolve into a thriving 21st-century discipline. 

Our shared love of rowing is what unites us. The beauty, the effort, the rhythm, the team. The reliance on your teammates in the boat – no matter who they are. Rowing can bring people together in ways few other things – even few other sports – can. In this session, hear the stories and experiences of panelists who are some of the strongest leaders in our sport and come from communities that are underrepresented in American rowing. Learn what “inclusion” meant to them, why they kept coming back to their seat in the boat, and learn tangible practices to keep members from all backgrounds in your boathouse.  

This session continues the conversation around Inclusive Coaching with the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport by offering participants an opportunity to talk through questions and applications of the strategies discussed in the 11/14 session. Participants can bring specific scenarios or examples that they would like to work through with the CHJS team.