Lynn Biery, Pittsburgh Land Supervisor, and daughter, Elyn,
share a passion for rowing. For the past
three years, Lynn has been that “rowing (soccer) mom” helping her daughter,
Elyn, rise to Coxswain for her Steel City Rowing team. (In most boats, the Cox sits facing the
rowers in the stern so she/he can steer
the boat and coordinate the power and rhythm of the rowers.) Lynn’s passion developed quite by accident
but was spawned by early ABARTA health initiatives. As part of Lynn’s exercise
routine, she tried an IndoRowing machine at a local gym and liked it so much
that she decided to become a certified instructor. She quickly fell in love with the motion that
eventually developed her power and strength and took her to the water in March
2013.
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| Lynn Biery is the 2nd rower from the top, daughter Elyn is at the bottom in purple. |
Lynn spends approximately four
hours each week rowing, both indoor and out.
After training for only six months, she had the confidence to compete
for the first time in the Head of the Ohio in Pittsburgh on the Allegheny
River. One of the largest one-day events
in the country, this event attracts competitors of all skill levels. Lynn’s team placed third, and she received a
bronze medal for her efforts in a Masters Mixed 8+ race on Saturday, October 5th. She worked with seven other rowers in a sweep
boat pulling only one oar (see photo), while her daughter, Elyn, sat in front
commanding the team to victory. What
surprised Lynn about this victory is that the team had only practiced twice
together in the sweep boat. Typically
the rowers practiced in a sculling boat where each rower pulls two oars instead
of one. This team of 4 women and 4 men of
varying ages and skill finished the 2.6 mile course in 18:13 and crossed the finish ahead of 5
other boats. It is never too late to try
something new, and we applaud you.
You are never too old to set another
goal or to dream a new dream. C.S. Lewis
