Riverside History: Crusher Casey & "The Famous Caseys"

Who was “Crusher” Casey?  In the 1940s and 50s, Steve Casey and his brothers Jim and Tom were perhaps Riverside’s best oarsmen, and they were certainly the most colorful.   The three grew up with four other brothers and three sisters in Ballough on the Sneem in County Kerry, Ireland.  (It’s worth Googling Sneem for the views)  In keeping with rowing’s long association with pugilism, all seven brothers excelled as wrestlers and boxers but their first love was rowing and they raced successfully in Ireland during the 1930’s.  Representing Ace Rowing Club in the coxed fours at the All­England Rowing Championships in 1936, Steve, Tom, Paddy and Mick won a Berlin Olympic berth, only to be disqualified for having taken money for wrestling.

Steve Casey, accompanied by Tom and Jim, arrived in Boston in 1938 to compete in the world heavyweight wrestling championship at the Boston Garden.   He won and would hold the title until 1947.  Looking for a place to row, the three brothers gravitated to Riverside, the club with the Irish and the boxing pedigrees.  Soon known as “the famous Caseys,” in 1940 they issued a challenge through The Boston Globe to any four in the country to race them on the Charles.  They were to be joined by another brother once the challenge was accepted.  After watching the Caseys train, however, no one responded until Union Boat Club’s former national champion sculler Russell Codman, Jr., by now 45 years of age, agreed to a singles race.  The Boston Globe sponsored the event, offering $1,000 in prize money.  Former Harvard oar Governor Leverett Saltonstall put up a cup for the winner.  The principals raised $2,000 in stakes.  Arranged for November 10, the race attracted an enormous crowd, reported to have included young Jack Kennedy.  Tom Casey, age 25 and notorious for his blistering cadence, finished first, Jim was second, Steve third and Codman fourth.  Tom is said to have gone on to win every race he entered.  

Jim Casey carried on a successful wrestling career and later helped introduce rowing facilities at Clear Lake, Texas.  As for Crusher, it is testimony to his popularity on both sides of the Atlantic that his statue stands today in Sneem, while in this country his bars, Casey’s in Boston and Casey’s Too in Hull, were favorite watering holes for locals, Irish immigrants and rowers alike.  All seven brothers were inducted into the Irish Sports Hall of Fame in 1982. Their story is told at length in Jim Hudson’s The Legend of the Caseys, the Toughest Family on Earth, Dickinson, Texas, 1990.  

By: Dick Garver

Dick Garver welcomes feedback. He can be reached at richardgarver[at]gmail[dot]com

Women's Sweeps Member to Run Second Boston Marathon

There were very few, and I mean less than a handful, reasons why I would ever run a marathon. Running for Boston Children's Hospital just happened to be one of them. In the fall of 2014 I decided to apply to run the 2015 Boston Marathon for Boston Children's in memory of my father and aunt who had been patients at the hospital their entire lives. I thought that if I ran for a good cause then it wouldn't hurt as much, right? Wrong. Training through the worst winter in Boston was not the best time to tackle a four-month training program, racking up 30+ miles every week. The treadmill became a formidable enemy as I tried to avoid icy roads and terrible conditions, only to feel like a hamster attempting to power a light bulb.

Race day came bringing rain and temperatures in the high 30's, leaving the runners and especially the spectators with character-building conditions. With the help of multiple pairs of running shoes, hours of stretching and nursing sore muscles, and the support of family and friends, my first marathon was a success. I raised almost $7,000 for a cause I care deeply about and earned myself a qualifying bib for the 2016 Boston Marathon with a time of 3:29, roughly six minutes ahead of the cutoff.

I remember someone telling me before I ran Boston for the first time that marathons are like Pringles…once you pop, you can't stop. Naturally, I laughed in that person's face and walked away confidently saying I would only run one.

I'm currently three weeks away from running my second Boston Marathon and thinking, "Damn, that person was right." The training isn't always easy, with unexplainably slow days followed by light and quick long runs and sacrificing half of your Saturday to run 20 miles to only then cancel plans because you realize you can't move your legs. But it's something I've become proud to say I'm training for. In a city with so much pride in its athletic endeavors, the Boston Marathon is among the proudest. If you ever have a chance to head out to the carriage road in Newton during marathon training, it's a sight to see. Hundreds, if not thousands, of runners, training at all levels and for all different reasons are out on the course preparing for those 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.

With the longest long run of 22 miles behind me and a goal to just go faster than last year I can safely say I'm ready to hit the course on April 18. So if you're in the area and want to catch a glimpse of everyone from elites to qualifiers or charity runners, stop by the course and see what four months and hundreds of miles of training can produce. You won't regret it.

By: Erin Roche
 

New Members: March 2016

Name Drew D'Agostine

Program interested in joining Independent Sculling/Men's Sweeps (eventually)

When & where did you begin rowing? At Riverside Boat Club as a Brookline High School novice in 2000

What brought you to the Boston area? Moved back to Boston area after college for AmeriCorps and other opportunities

What brought you to Riverside? Recently moved to Cambridge and looking to continue rowing after a long hiatus

What is your favorite meal to cook? Anything barbecue :-)

Name Lizzy Youngling

Program interested in joining Sweeps for the spring and HPG after

When and where did you begin rowing? 2010 at Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, CT and then GMS Rowing Center in New Milford, CT.

What brought you to the Boston area? After graduating from the University of Virginia in the spring of 2015, I accepted a job offer from Oracle where I work as a Solutions Consultant.

What brought you to Riverside? After taking a few months off from rowing after the U-23 World Championships this past summer, I began to realize I couldn't let my passion for rowing go. I asked around and decided Riverside would be the best fit for me so I can pursue my dreams of competing at the Senior World Championships and hopefully the Olympics.

What is your favorite meal to cook? Chocolate chip cookies. I have the biggest sweet tooth and dream of opening a bakery one day.

Men's Sweeps Alum Wins Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race

Cambridge University won the annual Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames River this weekend. Men's Sweeps alum Ali Abbasi raced in 2-seat of Cambridge's Blue Boat, helping the Light Blue to the win for the first time since 2012.

CUBC handled the adverse conditions well (though their female teammates nearly swamped earlier that day), finishing two and a half lengths ahead of Oxford after the nearly-7k-long race.

Abbasi credits his summer at Riverside to his much of his recent success. Read about it in his recent Alumni Spotlight here.

For a full recap on Easter Sunday's showdown, read here.

HPG Alum Pearson Qualifies for 2016 Rio Olympics

HPG alumna Shelley Pearson just became the first female rower to qualify to represent Bermuda at the Olympic Games, and will be the first rower to represent the small island country since 1972's Jim Butterfield.

Competing in the Women's Single at the Latin American Olympic Qualifiers in Curauma, Chile, Shelley officially punched her ticket to Rio yesterday after winning her semifinal and progressing to the A-Final, as the 12 athletes were competing for 6 Olympic spots. Shelley did one better today by winning the final, besting 2013 Lightweight Women's 1x world medalist Fabiana Beltrame of Brazil by 2.5 seconds.

Shelley's road has been a long one plagued with injury (she had 9 surgeries in 2 years), but she has displayed tremendous perseverance and determination. For more information on Shelley's long journey to this point, read here, and for more information on her recent qualification, read here.

Former Sweeps Member Trades Stripes for Cambridge Light Blue

With The Boat Race fast approaching, we took a moment to catch up with Ali Abbasi, a former member of RBC’s Men’s Sweeps, who will be competing in Cambridge’s Blue Boat on Sunday.

Ali’s path to The Boat Race has been a little bit circuitous. He began a joint B.A./M.A. degree at Cambridge’s Trinity College in 2010 and it was there that he began his rowing career. But in 2014 he left Cambridge, enrolling in an exchange program at The University of Chicago. While he was able to continue to gain some fitness with their club team, he still wasn’t making the progress he wanted to on the water.

Then, at the end of his year abroad, he got a summer fellowship in Boston at the non-profit Health Leads. He began looking for a competitive summer program and immediately reached out to Riverside’s men’s sweeps. Initially, he was unsure if he would be good enough to row for them. “Riverside,” says Ali, “was the highest standard of rowing I had been exposed to up until that point. For the first time, I was training with a group of guys who were just as determined as I was. It was great to have strong competition, and we had a pretty good atmosphere amongst the team. For the first time I got detailed technical coaching (thanks to Jeff's efforts) and spent a lot of time in small boats.”

When he went back to Cambridge the next fall, Ali felt like he was finally ready to try out for the university team. “Obviously the Cambridge team was another step up,” says Ali, “but I was ready for it, thanks to my summer at Riverside where I had gotten in a lot of mileage, allowing me to pull a massive PR on the ergo. It put me on the radar of the Cambridge coaches. That season I was selected for the Goldie boat, which is the men's reserve crew. We had a pretty hard fought race (at one point leading by almost 2 lengths), but we blew it during the final mile and ended up losing.”

That was the end of Ali’s fifth year at Cambridge, and he had just finished both his B.A. and his first M.A. “Rowing in Cambridge,” says Ali, “is quite different from other programs, because it is so black and white, and focused on one day, one race. Nothing else matters. You can't have a solid showing, or mediocre results. You win or you lose. So losing felt pretty awful but it left me determined to come back and have another go.” Unwilling to call it quits, he applied—and was accepted to—a second master’s program in Computational Biology, allowing him to train and try out for the Cambridge team once again. This year, Ali has been selected as the 2 seat for Cambridge’s Blue Boat.

The commitment is no joke. Every morning sees the squad in the gym hitting the weights and the ergs. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are spent forty minutes off campus in a town called Ely where the team practices on the water and where they run two-a-days on weekends. Every other weekend the crew travels down to London to practice on the course. Physical therapy, meetings with the team, and PR commitments mean that athletes are spending about fifty hours a week dedicated to race day preparations—on top of a full class load. But Ali, who feels that the high level of rowing only compliments the academic rigor of his program, wouldn’t have it any other way: “This race means so much to me. It has been the sole focus of my rowing career. From the moment five years ago when I realized I was gifted with the right physiology, I have wanted to represent Cambridge in The Boat Race. So I’m beyond excited to finally earn my blue.”

And Riverside is beyond excited for Ali. We couldn’t be happier that he got to wear some stripes on his road to the Blue. Good luck this weekend Ali! We’ll be cheering for you!

By: Graeme Calloway

Sharing Our Sport at Crossfit 813

When planning our trip to Florida for Olympic trials, we a few goals in mind: to get on the water, and to get fitter, faster, and stronger. Once we had secured locations for rowing, we had our next challenge: where would we complete our twice-weekly lift? We knew we needed a facility that would have the proper equipment and could accommodate our large group without breaking the bank.

We were incredibly fortunate to have CrossFit 813 open their (garage) doors to us during their Open Gym hours. Their generosity has allowed us to maintain our regular lifting routine during our time in Tampa. While we weren’t about to jump into their ‘workouts of the day’ (2k in the middle of a circuit workout, anyone?), they have everything we could need: Concept 2 ergs, Olympic lifting equipment, and plenty of space.

The advantages of training at CF813 have been huge; not only have they been kind enough to lend us space and equipment for our lift, but they have provided us with an incredibly positive and energetic environment. One of the great parts of traveling to row is connecting with other inspiring athletes and our experience at CrossFit has been no exception. Each time we are there we are amazed by the skills and strength of their athletes, as well as the encouragement and teamwork that goes into their workouts.

While the philosophies behind crossfit and the sport of rowing differ greatly (‘routine is the enemy’ vs the repetitiveness of the rowing stroke) the physical components have many similarities. Many rowers have done Crossfit type lifts as a part of their training, or at least heard of Crossfit athletes competing on the erg. The erg is where rowing and crossfit overlap: ‘How fast can you go?’.

In exchange for our gym time, we hosted an erging clinic at CF813. On a Sunday morning after pieces, we headed to the gym to give instruction and feedback to any interested crossfit athletes. We had seen the clinic advertised on a chalkboard inside, but we weren’t sure what kind of turnout to expect. But if anyone wants to make their legs hurt on a weekend morning (other than a rower) it’s a crossfitter, and the turnout was so high that we had to assign 3 people to each erg to alternate. Judith, our head coach, first walked the group through the basic technical components while the HPG athletes gave feedback and tips. Once everyone had a general idea of how to be most effective on the erg, we let them loose for a few max watt and 500m pieces. The feedback we received was incredible--we had some 500m PR’s!--and the athletes were thrilled to be more efficient. When they expressed amazement at the workouts that we do on the erg, we told them the feeling was mutual--I can’t imagine lifting nearly as much as they do!

We’re wrapping up our last week of living in Tampa, and will be lifting at CF813 for the last time this week. We will be sad to leave, and are so grateful to have been welcomed into the crossfit community, if only for a short time. Thank you so much to CF813 for having us!

By: Mary Foster

Olympic Trials Prep: Halfway Update

By: Hillary Saeger & Erin Roberts

For the past few weeks, we have been been able to get in some good pieces and solid rows at the Bypass Canal. While we loved rowing out of the Steward's Foundation on the Hillsborough River, we just couldn't turn down the opportunity to row on a buoyed course just down the road. Both the University of South Florida and Tampa Area Crew master's programs were super hospitable and accommodating, welcoming us into their boathouse to store our boats and allowing us to use their equipment.

We maximized our time on this body of water, which offered less boat traffic than we faced on the Hillsborough, in the early mornings and late afternoons as to avoid the hottest times of the day. Though it's only March, it's really beginning to heat up here in Tampa. It's much warmer & more humid than in Boston!

We are excited to be working towards a common goal and are eager to be picking up speed, but we have also found ways to relax and distract ourselves during the day in fun and unique ways.

Lauren & I built legos in our downtime.

Then on Friday night, March 11th, we got the awesome opportunity to go to the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game as they took on the Philadelphia Flyers at Amalie Arena. Hockey in Florida? Yes – and this was definitely hockey done right. The Lightning (4th in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the Atlantic Division with 40 wins and 29 losses) are doing very well this season, and we got the VIP treatment as we watched them in action – all you can eat food and drinks in the Chase Lounge, a tour of the stadium with an up close view of the ice and trip to the press room, and a team appearance on the JumboTron where Molly Hamrick was interviewed. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay lost 3-1, but everyone still enjoyed a very chill, delicious chance to watch some coordinated athletics for a change and hangout with their teammates. Thanks to Stephan Athan (one of our host parents) for organizing the event and to the Tampa Bay Lightning for having us.

We're switching venues tomorrow, moving boats down to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, where Trials will be held next month. We'll be commuting to Sarasota from Tampa for practice next week, then switching host families next weekend and living full-time in Sarasota!

2014 Riverside Annual Stripes Gala

By: Rachel Pettis & Erin Roche

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On the racecourse RBC is notorious for cleaning up, leaving competitors behind with striped oars merely a blur.  Off the water RBC cleans up just as well, showcased most recently at the Annual Stripes Gala.  JL and dry-fit were nowhere to be found at this smart occasion as Riverside members gathered at the Royal Sonesta for a night of festivity, celebration and purpose.

The evening began with socializing and a silent auction boasting baskets of goodies assembled by each of Riverside’s competitive programs.  Once all members had found their seats and the dinner courses were served, President Mike Farry took to the podium to introduce the evening’s speakers.

Liane Malcos Keister was first to address the crowd and gracefully recounted her trials and tribulations in her quest for a spot on the national team.  Liane’s recollection spoke to the tenacity, bravery and strength it takes to train at the elite level, and what a significant role Riverside played and continues to play in her life.

Following Liane, Miranda Paris touched upon her early experiences at RBC leading to a career path never considered after a medical diagnosis ruled out her personal competitive aspirations.  Rather than despairing Miranda found an alternative way to continue doing what she loves in the form of coaching.  From her very first role in assisting with the RBC HPG men to her current position as head coach of the Georgetown Varsity Women, Miranda’s passion for the sport is unwavering and she too thanks Riverside for its continuous support.

“Dream Big, Work Hard, and Have Fun”

Jim Hanley receiving RBC’s Lifetime Achievement Award

In the wake of two equally resounding stories Mike Farry then summoned Jim Hanley to the floor to introduce the evening’s final speaker.  Before handing over the mic, Mike first revealed to Jim that something very special and unprecedented was about to occur.  The President proceeded to award Jim Hanley with the inaugural Riverside Lifetime Achievement Award for his continued leadership, support and love of RBC since 1972.  It was hard to resist the wave of emotion reverberating from Jim as he accepted the award.

After thanking the club Jim left quite the act to follow as he introduced Doug Clark.  Doug’s speech did not disappoint as he recounted his coaching years and emphasized the importance and application of hard work in rowing and in life.  Doug challenged the audience to discern the types of motivation that drive success and encouraged all to, “Dream Big, Work Hard, and Have Fun”.

As the messages of Liane, Miranda and Doug lingered around the room a clear desire for the continued support of RBC arose during the live auction and pledges that followed. Thank you to the 85 attendees, those who donated tickets, anyone who helped with one of the team baskets, all volunteers, everything donated to the auction, all who pledged or bought an auction item. By the Gala’s end $45,000 was raised to help sustain and grow the club that we all know and love.  Many thanks to all that took part in this wonderful occasion, greats things are certainly in store for 2015!

Mike Farry takes the plunge!

By: Lisa Russell

Mike Farry took the plunge!  Well done Riverside in meeting the fundraising goal of 150 donations, a fitting send off to show our support for the RBC athletes representing the USA at Worlds.  For those who were unable to attend breakfast and witness President Farry’s jump check out the waterside recap:

Thank you to all who donated in support of our athletes!  Best of luck in Amsterdam to the Men’s LM4x Jake Georgeson, Kyle Lafferty, Peter Schmidt and Andrew Neils and to Hillary Saeger!   To follow their progress check out:

US Mens Lighweight 4x

Any volunteers for next year’s swim?