Joannah Whitney Rows Far

Story and photos by Laila Soleimani

Joannah Whitney is an avid rower. She’s a regular participant in our Universal Access Program as she has been rowing on the Connecticut River for the last three seasons with Holyoke Rows. Formerly an archaeologist before a diagnosis of MS, she’s someone who loves being out in the natural world, particularly on the open water. During the regular rowing season, from May-October, Joannah is on the water every week, without question.

I first met Joannah this past August.  Looking very comfortable and relaxed on the water, she smiled from ear to ear, when I asked her to pose for a photo. She has that same jovial smile when I ask her to tell me what she loves about the rowing program. “Over the course of the season I get to see the trees change, I get to see the water level rising and lowering. I love seeing eagles, herons, cormorants, or other animals on the banks, or in the water. I love the feeling of putting my oars in the water, pulling against it for part of the stroke, then feeling the scull glide as I reach forward to start the next stroke.”

Adaptive Rowing Going Strong!

Blind rower Barbara Black has found her way into a single.

Summer is over and so are our paddling and sailing programs, but adaptive rowing is still going strong!

The boathouse at Jones Ferry in Holyoke will continue to see a lot of action as rowers keep up their practice and training. Fall is the busy time for races. Several rowers traveled to the Bayada Regatta in Philadelphia in August and had a great time as usual. Holyoke Rows had their annual Paper City Regatta on the Connecticut River 2 weeks ago, in which everyone won a medal. Next races up are the Head of the Charles in Boston on October 20 and the Head of the Fish in Saratoga at the end of this month.

A Glorious Day on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia

Bo Tanner reports on the experience and results for the Holyoke Rows team participation in the 30th annual Bayada Regatta in Philadelphia on August 20. Luckily, the event was one week before
tropical storm Irene hit Philadelphia!


Holyoke Rows team from left to right: Jim Sliski, Ben Kidston, T,
Bo Tanner, Carlos Gonzalez, Stephanie Moore, and Jim Brooks.

Five members of the Holyoke Rows adaptive rowing team and coach Stephanie Moore traveled south on Friday August 19th for some fun in the sun and heavy duty competition at the nations only adaptive only regatta. That’s right, the able bodied athletes had to sit this one out and watch the fierce competition. We started with the Jolly Up cocktail party receiving information on the course, races, rule changes, and greeting old friends. The athletes were also informed that around half of the Paralympic rowing team were competing in this regatta as a warm-up for the world competition starting on the following Monday in Croatia. Yikes! I hoped all that training this summer would pay off! We got an unexpected surprise when our little buddy T showed up at the party with his mom, our coach, Stephanie Moore. This was a boost for the athletes as T is one of our biggest supporters at the Holyoke boathouse, and a great man in the pit crew. Just the week before 8-year-old T rowed a single by himself on the Connecticut River with a swift current.

Getting Ready for the Regatta



Bo Tanner (wearing last year's Bayada Regatta t-shirt!)
and Jim Sliski clean boats in preparation for the Regatta.

Today was a lovely August day for a perfect visit at the Jones Ferry Access Center in Holyoke! When I arrived, a few older women were getting kayak lessons on the Connecticut River, which was smooth under a sunny sky with clouds. When I left a few hours later, a busy boat washing was taking place in front of the boathouse, where three adaptive rowers were getting ready for the Bayada Regatta coming up this weekend in Philadelphia.

Jim Sliski, Jim Brooks and Bo Tanner have been rowing - and competing - for several years now, using the Jones Ferry Access Center run by Holyoke Rows. Jim Sliski started rowing with DCR's Universal Access Program in 1996 upriver in Northampton, and has been a steady presence on the water ever since. He is competing this weekend though admits his "stamina is not great "as various health challenges have slowed down his training in the last year. Jim Brooks has had a "great summer" and is looking forward to Philadelphia. Bo is racing in three races, in doubles with partners and a singles race. Best wishes to all three this weekend!!!

Bo takes a light training run on the river today
after weeks of steady training.

Holyoke Rows is a non-profit organization I sometimes think of as a pseudonym for Stephanie Moore, the soft-spoken mother of four who tapped into local resources to convert a rundown river front into a thriving recreational community center just east of the Holyoke Mall. A firm believer in "access for all", Stephanie has made a traditionally elite sport available to an often disadvantaged local demographic that includes city kids, seniors, and people with disabilities.

The Bayada Regatta is an internationally famous adaptive rowing competition, now in its 30th year. It is the oldest and largest adaptive rowing competition in the U.S. This year's Regatta takes place Saturday, August 20, from 8am-4pm.  Holyoke Rows will run its annual Paper City Regatta this year on September 25 at the Jones Ferry Access Center. I'm sure we'll see both Jims and Bo at this race too!

Adaptive Rowing in Holyoke

I stole away from the office one morning early last week to catch a glimpse of adaptive rowing in Holyoke. It was one of those perfect summer mornings, cool and bright, and the river was calm and inviting. I found Stephanie Moore of Holyoke Rows in the center of a hubub of people and gear on the dock at Jones Ferry.

Stephanie has been offering adaptive rowing for years in conjunction with DCR's Universal Access Program, and currently hosts the program at a new boathouse in Holyoke, which allows rowing and paddling to be accessible to everyone in this urban area along the Connecticut River.