Utah rowing team headed for big race

WEST VALLEY — Utah Crew, a small rowing club that practices on an industrial canal in West Valley, has been selected to compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta, one of the premier races in the country.

Scheduled for Oct. 22-23 in Boston, Mass., the young Utah team will go up against 75 other clubs, including some with charters dating back to the early 1800s. The races will take place along a three-mile stretch of the Charles River that will take the rowers under six historic bridges and past the stately campuses of Brandeis, Harvard, Boston University and MIT. The regatta features youth, collegiate, masters and championship divisions.

Crew is all about speed, but the setting of this renown regatta always earns equal billing. According to the Charles River Watershed Association: “Lacking speed and force, the slow-moving Charles River will always be brownish in color, no matter how clean it becomes. River water literally steeps like tea through the abundant wetlands along its path.”

Utah Crew head coach Corinne Linderman and varsity coach Jeff Massey have both rowed in the Head of the Charles on out-of-state teams and know how unique this opportunity is for Utah Crew. Linderman is optimistic about the talent and dedication of Utah Crew's athletes who hail from local schools including West, Judge, Skyline and Brighton high schools. “We realize we have a long road ahead of us to prepare the athletes, but we're very excited,” she said.

That Utah Crew secured a place in the Head of the Charles Regatta is a testament to the coaches, parents, athletes and local donors who recognize that rowing crew not only benefits the young athletes who learn the value of team work and dedication to a cause, but benefits the community as a whole. Comprising a team of 40 young athletes, Utah Crew holds training sessions year round and participates regularly in community service.

For opportunities to volunteer, make a tax-deductible donation or to get additional information about Utah Crew, please visit www.utahcrew.org. Utah crew is a nonprofit organization that is open to any youth aged 13-18 in Utah interested in rowing. For more information about the Head of the Charles Regatta, visit www.hocr.org.

Miel is a music teacher, freelance writer, and mother of a young rower who lives to "bury a blade."