Catching Up with the 2000 Henley Champions

I remember eating at a pub whose name I've forgotten, watching Wimbledon, living together in a room of our host family's house, and playing croquet on their back lawn. The races seem to have gone by in a blur; I know I was there but I barely recall what lane we had or who we raced. I recall some margins at the finish were more comfortable than others. I know the crew was strong and together, something I never quite found rowing in college. I do remember practicing near some swans that came too close, how close the rails along the course were when we first pulled in, and how little it mattered when we were focused on the race. Bill Lamb ’79 would ride along watching from the shore on bike for some of the practices, but Andy (Kelly) was running the show by that point; calling the moves keeping the crew together and focused. After the loss in ’99, there were few distractions and everyone focused to finish what we started. I see the picture from when we crossed the finish line from time to time and I remember that it was exciting. It’s funny how less climactic moments of the journey remain vivid in comparison.

I am currently a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. I joined through ROTC and have been in the Navy since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. I am a pilot, currently flying the UC-12M, stationed with my wife and 4 kids in Bahrain. I have flown the P-3C, the T-34C, the T-44C, and we've lived in Washington, Texas, Virginia, and Alabama. I have one child born in each state.

Prep Crew taught me a lot about myself, my focus, commitment, and resilience. I think of my time as a rower when I'm faced with a stressful situation, and I know I can trust the people around me. When it comes to setting a goal, I know I can make a plan, measure my progress, and push myself to get better. I haven't touched a boat or a rowing machine in years, but the friends who helped me along the way and pushed me through workouts as far back as freshman year tryouts or training over the summers helped create opportunities long after I finished rowing.

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What are your memories of the Henley win (or of the 2000 season)? 

The first half of the final where we were down by a few seats. We were ahead from the first stroke for every other race. We took a big move and started walking back. That move decided it. 

I also remember Pat (McMahon) stopping us all from leaving the house before a race (it may have been the final) because we forgot to listen to “Eye of the Tiger.” 

Living in Philadelphia with my wife and two kids. Still taking orders from Andy on the water. I row with University Barge Club and still try to get out on the water 2-3 times a week. We can usually get two 8s together on Fridays and most of the time, more than half of the guys went to the Prep. Sometimes Anselm (Sauter) is in the mix too. 

I draw on the endurance and toughness Prep Crew taught me in my professional and personal life. 

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The best memories are really muddled compilations of the two-year journey it took to win at Henley. We lost in 1999, overcame obstacles throughout the following year, and stayed together and won in 2000. It's really hard to maintain that cohesiveness and motivation over the course of two years, coupled with the pressure of being tabbed a special group, a potential Henley-winning crew, very early in our rowing careers. Beyond the off-the-water memories, the final 500 meters of the Henley final vs. Groton stick in my mind. I think we all knew at that point we were going to win and it was 90 seconds of a communal sense of excitement and relief: excitement at being the first Prep crew to win Henley and relief at realizing our potential and closing the deal.

 

I'm an Account Director for Klick Health, an advertising agency based out of Toronto, with offices in Philadelphia and New York. I live in Center City Philly with my wife Emily and our two young sons, Henry, almost 2, and Sam, 7 months. I currently belong to University Barge Club on Boathouse Row, along with several other guys from the 2000 Henley crew, and enjoy road cycling in my free time.

 

The Prep and Prep Crew impact my life every day. The Prep has been part of my DNA since I was born, being the son of a Prep teacher who has now been there for 43 years. I had my eye on joining the rowing team from my Pre-8th grade program days, listening to the 1995 Henley crew updates that summer. To become part of one of the best four-year runs at such a storied rowing program was beyond my wildest dreams at the time. Prep Crew kicked off my love for the sport and altered the course of my life, from Penn, to grad school at Syracuse, to meeting my wife at University Barge Club. My life would look very different right now had it not been for Prep Crew: the lessons I learned and continue to lean on and the people I met who influence not only how I think, but what I value.

 

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I have too many memories to recount here. They range from the mundane, like the exact path I took every morning to run from the Colemans’ house in town down to the race course each day of the regatta (even Sunday), to crucial moments during racing that only my boat and a few coaches experienced (like when Groton’s coxswain steered into us in the Grand Final and Andy (Kelly) made a split-second decision that avoided catastrophe), to the roaring crowds and overwhelming social expectations, and the relief and thrill of victory that washed over me seconds after we crossed the finish line. 

 

The moments soon after we won and docked in the Stewards’ Enclosure where I was surrounded by family, friends, coaches, and all those who supported us are some of the fondest memories of my life. The embraces, the ear-to-ear smile on John Wachter's face, my 5-year-old sister in her Sunday best holding her teddy bear: I can replay these memories at will and when I do, I still feel as if the world is spinning around us. 

 

I am the CFO of Paradigm Specialty Networks, a healthcare services company based out of Tampa, Fl. I live in New York City with my wife, Elizabeth, and our two daughters. I still row and race every year at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

 

The Prep taught me a Jesuit philosophy on life that has framed my thinking and informed my decisions for the better throughout my entire life. I can’t imagine what life would be like without the incredible strength that the Catholic faith and community has brought to me and my family. 

 

Prep Crew and Bill Lamb ’79 taught me grit. Coach Lamb taught me what is possible when a leader raises the standards of performance higher than one could ever imagine possible and then insists in every moment that one is not only capable but also bears a responsibility to achieve those standards. I consider him the best teacher I have ever had and I have drawn on his lessons both consciously and unconsciously over the years.  

 

In objective terms, the Prep and Prep Crew helped me get into Yale, which opened up doors to me that put me on my path professionally. Yale is also where I met my wife. I will never forget that the path I am on now started in the basement erg room at 17th and Girard. Henley is raced on the Thames, but it is there where it is won. 

 

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What are your memories of the Henley win (or of the 2000 season)? 

Croquet, team grocery shopping, crossing the finish line first, and the celebration afterward.

 

I am married with three kids and live in Glenmoore. I currently work for a healthcare company as the VP of Payer Relations and Customer Support.

 

The Prep and Prep Crew helped mold me into the man and father I am today. It helped instill the value of hard work and time management. It taught me that there will be times in life where you do not win or finish first, but it’s important to never let those failures prevent you from achieving future successes.

 

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Obviously the biggest singular memory is the final 500 meters leading through the enclosure to a Prep Crew win at Henley. When I look back at that season though, the journey of practices and races together with our teammates is what I cherish the most. The way the entire team pushed each other every day is the reason we won that year. The nine guys in the boat ultimately won the race but the entire team was an integral part of that success. Every individual had a part in that Henley win, and driving for all of our successes together is what I remember the most.

 

I am currently a pilot for Delta Air Lines. I was a pilot in the Navy for 11 years, and recently transitioned to the Air Force as a part-time pilot in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. I am thankful to have an amazing wife, two great children, and am happy to be back in the Philadelphia area.

 

There are countless ways Prep Crew has impacted my life -- way too many to list here. It taught me how to work hard for your own success and to be responsible for those results. At the same time, it taught me the value of teamwork, service, and leadership which I was able to carry with me through my military and civilian careers. I am very thankful for the opportunities, teachers, and especially coaches that were able to teach me those valuable lessons. Go Prep!

 

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It was a great honor to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta for the Prep and the legacy of great Prep crews and oarsmen that went before us. We could sense that winning the Princess Elizabeth Cup was so much bigger than just us. It was an incredible opportunity for the program and for the alums, supporters, and coaches who made it possible. The feeling that we achieved against the hopes and support that were afforded us still stays with me today. 

 

I continue to enjoy the sport today by rowing from Boathouse Row. I even still share a row with some members of our ’00 crew and plenty of other Prep alums. From time to time, I’ll catch a peek at the Prep V on the water or marvel at Gillin Boathouse, an incredible illustration of Prep Crew’s prestige and stature. 

 

How did the Prep and Prep Crew impact your life?  

Prep Crew is an incredible experience that teaches young men to expect more of themselves in ways they did not know were possible. And in that development, they learn also to trust other members of their crew to do the same. That accountability to each other -- to be your best self -- is what it’s all about. 

 

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I will always remember our last row in Philadelphia before shipping out to Henley Royal Regatta.

 

Prep Crew impacted me profoundly. In many ways, I was prepared for life.