Veteran Tribute Row--California to Hawaii 2013

My Name is Angela Madsen and I am an accomplished ocean rower with 6 Guinness World Records for rowing oceans. I am going to row a solo ocean rowing boat with no support boat from California to Hawaii.  What this means is that I will stay on my little boat the entire time, no one will give me any food or water, I will have to have enough provisions on board to sustain my life for as long as the journey takes.  I will row as many hours a day as I possibly can and will try not to drift too far off course while I sleep.  It begins with the idea followed by logistical planning, purchase, the shipping and outfitting of a solo rowing boat; I will start this rowing expedition Memorial Day weekend, May 31, 2013 from Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California or other suitable coastal location and will be rowing approximately 2,500 miles to Honolulu, Hawaii. It is a tribute row to Veterans of all services and to Spirited Adventurer and friend Orlando Rogers who was tragically killed in a plane crash on May 15th 2011. He was 26 years of age and was a Royal Marine. Orlando was very supportive of me and all of my projects and he was very excited about my intentions to do a solo row so as I make my plans I think it would be fitting to make my row a tribute to honor his memory. He wanted and planned on being there for me as he was on the Circumnavigation of Great Britain. Though it will not be the same, he will be there with me for every rowing stroke and every nautical mile. Orlando was a very special and amazing person. The name of my boat shall be The Spirit of Orlando. Through creation of a pledge page and donate button I will be raising money for a veterans charity that is yet to be determined.

It is an ambitious plan but I am a paraplegic who rows across oceans.  It seems rather normal to me.  I am open to connections made through social media and networking to find partners or sponsors for this event so please share my story, my contact info, have a fundraiser for my project 2013 Para Solo Row. I am open to any ideas and will appreciate any help I can get at this point. It’s like I am in a catch 22. I don’t feel comfortable fundraising without the boat and cannot get the boat without fundraising. Even when I was homeless I would never put a hand or hat out. It is very uncomfortable but this is different. This is a fantastic advertising and marketing opportunity. Unfortunately for me anybody selling a solo ocean rowing boat will not allow it to be shipped without payment in full. Because it has to be loaded on a container ship it will take some time to get here. I I need to get the boat on its way here much sooner than that in fact the sooner the better. My only other option is to use the money I have saved and try and restore my Rowoflife boat which is a pairs boat. That will add way more weight and size than I need making it physically more difficult than it already is and my old wooden pairs boat may not be safe enough for another crossing. Ocean rowing is expensive. The more monetary support, the easier it is to get to the start and the better prepared the boat and I can be for the crossing. I often refer to Spanky and Our Gang when referring to the way I have had to row across oceans. I have already sold my quiver of surfboards and cut back as much as possible without compromising my financial ability to compete in the Paralympics in London 2012. As a paraplegic I have always had a higher degree of difficulty and incurred more cost in achieving the success that I have had rowing across oceans. It is an amazing achievement and privilege to be part of a small community of ocean rowers. I am the only woman with a disability in the world who rows across oceans. I need some help to make this history making record setting solo row happen. If the ocean kicks my butt, that’s one thing but if I fail to even get to the start because I am too stubborn to ask for help, well that’s just not acceptable. Unless choosing anonymity, contributors will be named on the boat and recognized on the Website. The financial requirement to get the boat is $35,000.00 plus shipping. I have 10,000.00+ shipping so I am 25,000.00 short.

To Donate-there is Pay Pal on website Rowoflife.com or send check to Row Surf Row Inc., 3350 E. Seventh St., # 231 Long Beach, Calif. 90804.

Thanks,

Angela Madsen

Contact: Msparasurfer@aol.com cell (562) 505-4157

I Really Can Say, "NO!" by Angela

December 16, 2011                                         Angela Madsen www.rowoflife.com

                                       

                                       

  I really can say No!

Many would say that I would never turn down a rowing project but I have indeed done just that. I did consider it for a short time and came to the realization that now is not a good time for me to row across the Atlantic again. A race occurs every 2 years that begins on January 29, 2012 known as THE GUYANA BOUVET 2012. It is a race from Dakar, Senegal, 2600 Nautical miles or 4700 kilometers to Saint Laurent de Maroni, Guyana allowing only solo rowers in identical boats that are 8 meters in length. It takes an estimated 40 to 60 days. Ocean rowing is an open ended sport.  Sta rts could be delayed by weather and you really never know how long it will take to get across. In a single handed or solo boat it could take as much as 60-90 days. Bouvet Guyane 2012

I am chomping at the bit to do a solo row & I like interesting projects. I have never really had the opportunity to row a French ocean rowing boat. One of the entrants broke his arm and an opportunity to take his place presented itself. That is usually how it starts. Between now and January 29 is not enough time to raise funds and find sponsors. I go to Florida for in January to see my father and am scheduled to go to Hawaii in April/May. It would take away from and jeopardize my financial capabilities to do my Trans Pacific solo row.  This will be my first year without a major rowing project since 2006.

I think it is absolutely astonishing that organizers of ocean rowing races invite me to participate. I love it!

So you see I can say no to the row!

coaches clinic

Our USRowing level 1 coaches education clinic had 8 attending and 2 who already had their level 1 stayed after for the hands on adaptive clinic. So 10 coaches now know more about adaptive rowing than they did before.

 

With so few programs nation wide and so few adaptive rowing coaches who have experience working currently with diverse population of disabilities that we see now, I want to encourage all of you who are working in current programs to share your knowledge and experience by organizing future coaches education clinics. Do stand alone adaptive or combine it with USRowing the way we did ours. Certificates of training in adaptive will be given to those who participated in our clinic that will look good on any coaches resume!

 

I always welcome coaches to visit our program and do one on one coaches education clinics on a regular basis year round here in Southern California. I also am happy to not only encourage but assist rowing clubs who want to start adaptive rowing programs.

 

Angela Madsen

Founder, Director, California Adaptive Rowing Programs, USRowing level III coach, High Performance Rowing Coach, Adaptive Rowing Specialist. 2008 Paralympian and Guinness World Record Rower. cell (562) 505-4157 website: ROWOFLIFE.COM

2011 10 02--Six month recap by Angela

10/2/11—Six month recap by Angela

It is now October and it has been nearly 6 months since completion of the latest rowing project. Things are just starting to get back to normal physically. Weight gain and starvation mode cancelled and am now balancing out. Seems like the more I put my body through it the longer it takes.

I have been following Roz Savage rowing across the Indian Ocean and as she is near to complete her row she talks of retirement. I don’t know how many times I have talked about that same thing and I believe she will take some time off; I can’t seem to see her retiring any more than I can see myself retiring. I wish her all the best and will encourage Debs new web based re habilitation support program for those who chronically follow ocean rowers or dot watchers as they are known , you know who you are LOL. Roz retiring will leave a flood of people who have become addicted to watching Satellite tracking beacons who will be left to wonder about like zombies because this is the time they are used to routinely checking the tracking websites. I will definitely stay tuned to Roz and whatever she decides to do in the future.

My life has been a whirlwind of activities and events since getting off the boat. The Paralympics 2012 is coming up. I have not officially retired in the sport and have kept the door open and remained in the USADA drug testing program to retain eligibility just in case things changed. I though it would be great to go again if the opportunity presented, on different terms as a rower. My Paralympic experience was amazing but not personally complete. I have been continuing to train and pull amazing erg scores but I don’t have the passion to compete in the sport the way I used to. I focus more on coaching and starting programs and on developing adaptive equipment for the sport. There are a shortage of both experienced coaches and programs nationwide to provide the opportunities in the sport.

From Rowing to Throwing! I took up Track & Field because one of the coaches at the Veterans Wheelchair Games showed an interest in my throwing so I decided to give it a shot. Who knew I would be good enough to make the Paralympic team? I will have another opportunity to have the Paralympic experience I would have liked to have had in 2008. It is working out to be just that way with the Amazing support from the governing body of the sport, experienced coaches in Track and Field and the positivity of the other athletes. When I was growing up in Ohio, my participation in sports was my saving grace. The positive relationship I had with my coach, Joan Dautel, was by far the most important part of my survival and development as a person. The support, encouragement and leadership she had shown her athletes were exemplary. I cherished every moment of extra time she invested in me and as a competing athlete, have always longed for that kind of coach athlete relationship. That positive relationship is a key ingredient in every athlete’s success and development. If I never make it to London 2012, this 5 months working in Track and Field has qualified to restore and make complete, the athlete experience that I was trying to achieve. 

So the plan is 2012 Paralympics in London throwing Shot put and Javelin

And a 2013 solo rowing crossing (no motor, no sail no support boat) from California to Hawaii.

2011 08 08 Whirlwind Field, Rowing Seat and New Wheelchair

Whirlwind Field, Rowing Seat & New Wheelchair

August 8, 2011 

It has been a whirlwind Track & Field Odyssey since completing my 2^nd rowing crossing of the Atlantic Ocean (no motor, sail, or support boat). 

I took a bit of physical time off for recovery after the row just doing speaking engagements and coaching rowing at our Adaptive Rowing Program. I decided to try my hand at throwing things and yelling as I received some positive feedback at a previous Veterans Wheelchair Games for my performances in Shot put, Javelin and Discus. After rowing in the Paralympics and meeting some of the coaching staff and athletes/throwers in Track and Field I decided to go to a track and field meet and see what I could do. I went to Irvine and met Cathy Sellers and got signed up for the Desert Challenge. I got to Arizona, was classified as a 55 and broke America’s records in all three of my events. I then went to Florida to the Dixie games and threw farther. Shot put seems to be my better event. I then went to Nationals in Mira Mar, Florida where I would be internationally classified as 56. I made a rookie mistake throwing the 4k shot instead of the 3k so I was just short of the qualifying standard in shot ( 2.2 pound heavier implement) but made the qualifying standard for Jav. I then was invited to go to the Twilight & Boiling Point meet in Canada where I threw National A team standard shot at Twilight and took 1^st place in shot put for the meet. I was handed an envelope saying 1^st place that contained 8 Canadian one hundred dollar bills. My first prize money! So I purchased some implements and a throwing chair so I can practice. I am thinking it is something I can be good at if I train, practice and get some local coaching. I went to the last 2 weeks of the field program at Cerritos College and received some coaching before going to the Veterans Wheelchair Games in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately that program has ended so I am back in limbo.

I had to get a new wheelchair since the airlines lost and never recovered mine so I chose Colours. I also designed a seat for the indoor rowing machine and since I was going to Colours anyway I decided to pitch to them my ideas for manufacture of adaptive rowing equipment. Colours and I are now partners and they have built my first prototype seat and the folks at Three Rivers Rowing in Pittsburgh were the first to see it. It’s quite impressive and really exciting! No pictures we have moved beyond the prototype. 

Just returned from Pittsburgh and I am going to my 5^th Track and Field Meet in the Czech Republic next week. TG I have some reliable people at the rowing program who are doing a fabulous job running things in my absence!

Angela