Dave Weaver looks out on the still waters of the Sylvan Slough the late afternoon hours of a crisp May day and sees more than just a few shells skimming across the Mississippi River loaded down with guests and curiosity seekers interested in learning more about the sport of competitive rowing. Rowing is, after all, just a means to an end.
As the Director of Rowing and Family Development for Two Rivers YMCA, Gary’s job is to do more than just promote the sport. With participants ranging in age from thirteen to sixty-nine, he has to deal with a variety of needs and skills.
High schoolers who compete as part of the Quad City Rowing Association often find themselves on the national prep stage and benefit as a result. The QCRA has consistently placed members of its crews on collegiate rowing teams in the Big Ten, Pac Ten and Ivy Leagues.
But it’s not all about competition. Weaver explains the health benefits of rowing for the individual looking in search of an effective, cross-training workout: “The sport utilizes the legs, core muscles and arms,” he says. ”It’s a wonderful workout for losing weight. Rowing burns calories faster than just about anything.”
Different Strokes
Two Rivers Y offers a variety of beginner and intermediate classes for those interested in learning how to row. Corporate programs that provide basic instruction and emphasize fundamental teamwork concepts are also available.
When the weather starts to cool down in the fall, QCRA wraps up their season with a regatta that brings in hundreds of rowing crews from around the country. Off-season training is also possible at the Sylvan Boat House (near Stony Creek Lodge) or at Two Rivers YMCA in Moline.
As twenty-plus curiosity seekers learned Monday afternoon, rowing provides a variety of benefits to those who are willing to learn and work at developing the necessary skills. “I’d say it’s pretty great,” says Alex Prybell, a member of the Augustana rowing team under Weaver and a Y staffer in Moline. ”You get up early and you’re a little cranky, but as soon as you get out on the water and start rowing towards the sunrise, nothing beats it.”
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