Head Of The Charles Regatta Announces $30,000 Grant to National Rowing Foundation to Fund a One Week Training Camp Prior to Tokyo Olympics

Cambridge, MA, July 8, 2021 – The Head Of The Charles Regatta today announced the donation of a $30,000 grant to the National Rowing Foundation (NRF). In partnership with USRowing, the NRF will use this grant to partially fund a one week training camp for Team USA’s Olympic and Paralympic rowers directly prior to the Tokyo Olympics in late July.

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the Olympic venue in Tokyo will not open to teams until one week prior to the opening ceremony on July 23rd. To adapt to this unusual circumstance, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Rowing Teams have met in Honolulu, Hawaii for a one week training camp that began on July 7th. There, athletes will train in hotter and more humid weather conditions that closely resemble ones they will experience when racing in Tokyo. Both teams will be stationed on the island of Oahu to train along the Ala Wai Canal and stay at the Ala Moana Hotel – less than 5 miles south of Honolulu. 

“Having the opportunity to train in close proximity to Tokyo while still being on American soil is truly a blessing,” explained Meghan Musnicki of the USA Women’s 8+. “While in Hawaii, our team will be able to fine tune their racing skills while adapting to climate and time zone changes, making the transition to Tokyo much easier on our bodies. At the elite level, so much care is taken to control any and all variables surrounding training, and this training camp is critical to our preparations. We are grateful to our friends at the Head Of The Charles for their generous support.”  

Meghan Musnicki, 4 seat, pictured above in the Women’s Championship 8+ at the 2019 Head Of The Charles Regatta. Photo by Row2k.

In addition to this grant, the Head Of The Charles has supported the NRF and USRowing through financial and other means for over 13 years. In that time, the Regatta has provided travel funding for US National Team athletes to travel to Boston for racing in the Head Of The Charles seven times. The Regatta also annually provides marquee tent spaces to the NRF and USRowing at cost. 

“The Head Of The Charles is pleased to support the US National Team in their pursuit of excellence,” said Head Of The Charles Executive Director Fred Schoch. “We look forward to having the elite athletes race at the Head Of The Charles every year. Their presence is impactful and inspiring, and their participation showcases the best of Team USA. We will be watching them closely as they race in Tokyo and look forward to seeing many of them this fall for the 2021 Regatta.”

Racing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics is slated to begin on Friday, July 23rd and extend through the following Friday July 30th. Go Team USA.

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The Head Of The Charles Regatta was founded in 1965 and is the world’s largest rowing race, regularly fielding more than 11,000 athletes from around the world to compete in a full line-up of sculling and sweep rowing events. The ages of competitors range from 17-year-old youth rowers to athletes in their 90s and is seen as a must-attend race for world-class and Olympian rowers. More than 1,800 volunteers ensure that the events run smoothly. In 2019, the last year that the full regatta was held, an economic analysis determined that it generated more than $88 million in economic impact to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. www.hocr.org

Since 1966, the National Rowing Foundation (NRF) has provided important funding to USRowing for the US National Team, ensuring that US athletes have the resources that they need to get them to the medal podium. In January 2021 the NRF expanded its work to raise funds for additional efforts to strengthen rowing in the United States. Together the NRF and USRowing have identified three strategic fundraising priorities: The National Team; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs; and Coaching Education. By investing in these programs today, we commit to building the foundation of the sport for a stronger, faster and more inclusive tomorrow. www.natrowing.org

USRowing is a nonprofit membership organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing selects, trains and manages the teams that represent the U.S. in international competition including the world championships, Pan American Games and Olympics. More than 83,000 individuals and 1,350 organizations strong, USRowing serves and promotes the sport on all levels of competition. USRowing membership reflects the spectrum of American rowers- juniors, collegians, masters and those who row for recreation, competition or fitness. www.usrowing.org