The Instructors
We have a national team of instructors available as teacher/experts:

Margot Zalkind
Margot has been strongly and visibly working in the rowing community for more than fifteen years: she has been President of Saugatuck Boat Club in CT, Racing Chair at Potomac Boat Club, Secretary of Occoquan Boat Club, and, most recently, Co-President of the Northampton Youth and Community Rowing.

She served as Chair of the USRowing Master’s Committee for several years and as USRowing's Director of Marketing and Member Services. She is an original member of Potomac River Safety Committee and started Potomac BC women’s Masters Sweep program in 1992. She has served as regatta organizer,  and repeatedly as dockmaster, and has logged thousands of miles pulling a boat trailer.

She is now Co-Chair of the USRowing Safety Committee and serves on the USRowing Masters Committee. Margot worked to create National Learn to Row Day with Concept 2 and created the RowingMasters listserve.

On the water, she has medaled at Head of the Charles Regatta, Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, World Masters Games and USRowing Masters Nationals. 

Margot has worked as marketing director and graphic designer on national advertising campaigns at NY ad agencies.

Mark Wilson
Mark began rowing at University of Wisconsin, and continued rowing for US Coast Guard Academy, Northeastern University and Thames River Sculls. He has coached at University of Massachusetts and was Head Coach for Indiana University Women’s varsity team.

With Jim Dietz, Mark is Co-Director of the national juniors and masters All-American Rowing Camps.  He is also competing in his single and a member of the Riddle Point Rowing Club. He has served as dockmaster, regatta organizer, launch driver, trailer-hauler (covering the US several times).

Mark has established himself as a solid source for all things rowing: rigging, coaching, training, equipment, repair and transport. Through his camps, coaching and other work, he is sought-after and relied upon as a thorough, knowledgeable coach, rower and resource.

Laura Simon-Rich - Coxswain Program Coordinator
Laura started rowing at the University of California at Santa Barbara and then transferred to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  There she was the varsity coxswain from ’95 to ’98 and placed second in the V8+ at NCAA in ’97 & ’98.  Laura attended selection camps for the US Women’s National Team in ’97 and continued training with the US team through ’02.  In ’02, she went the World Championships as a coach for the Women’s Team. 

Laura has coached collegiate, junior and master’s rowers and has a strong background in technique and rigging.  She enjoys working with coxswains to improve their performances and the performances of their teams.