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A Remarkable Moment at DSC: Rachel’s First Row in Her New Elite Single
This week delivered one of those unforgettable moments that remind us why community support and volunteer dedication matter so deeply at DSC.
You’ll see Rachel in these photos, our phenomenal para-rower who rows using arms and body only due to a congenital bilateral above-the-knee amputation. For years, she has rowed in one very wide, very heavy adaptive single because she had no other option. Many para-rowers are placed in these boats because people assume their disability makes elite shells unsafe. But anyone who has watched Rachel row knows she is stronger and more skilled than most temporarily able-bodied scullers. We’ve been determined to get her into a boat that matches her ability.
Two years ago, thanks to a grant, we finally received an elite single that could work for both Rachel and non-adaptive rowers. But the road to getting it water-ready was long. First the shell came without riggers. Then we received a sliding seat, when Rachel needed a fixed seat since she cannot slide. When the fixed seat finally arrived, we still had no riggers. When the riggers did show up, they arrived without oarlocks. It became a quest of one missing part after another.
A few days ago, the final pieces — those elusive oarlocks — arrived. In the pouring rain, Rebecca, Renaldo, and Rachel, with help from Jana, Kate, and others, worked together to assemble the boat. Just as the last part was tightened, the rain stopped as if on cue. And then came the moment we had all been waiting for.
Rachel got into the shell. Rarely does a boat fit perfectly on the first try, but this one did. For her first outing we added pontoons, not because she needed them but because the shell is so responsive that flipping it would have been easy without a safety launch present. But once she pushed off, she rowed like the boat belonged to her. Every stroke sent her farther than we’d ever seen her move. The entire dock fell silent with awe.
Someone described the boat as a Ferrari or Lamborghini, and it showed. Her previous boat was like a tug — heavy, wide, and weighing almost a third of her own body weight. This new shell is at least ten pounds lighter and half the width. Watching her glide in it was exquisite.
Moments like this happen because of community — volunteers who show up in the rain, supporters who help us secure equipment, coaches who refuse to let limits define our athletes. Rachel’s first strokes in that boat took our breath away, and they reminded us what is possible when people come together to open doors instead of closing them.
This is DSC at its best.
