For those who have not heard, John Olbrys will be representing the US and PBC in the FISA World Rowing Beach Sprints. "The World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, also in Oeiras, will be raced from 24 to 26 September...The Beach Sprints has 25 countries entered with just under 200 athletes doing the short course, beach start style race... Beach Sprints are to feature at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal and have also been proposed as an Olympic event to the International Olympic Committee."
John is currently in Barcelona for this last week of training with a big contingent of the USRowing Beach Sprints National Team. He reported "The waves today were about 2m tall right on the beach, so we spent a lot of time practicing the turn and handling the boats in a (large) following surf."
Like all things rowing in the US, a great deal of National Team goals relies on the athletes' ability to raise funds. For this endeavor, John has avoided sending this to membership, but I am happy to ask that if anyone has a few dollars to spare, every bit can help him towards his $6,000 goal. His US Coast Guard Alumni Association is managing his fundraiser through the Elite Athletics Fund. If you have a dollar or more to spare, the link to make a tax-deductible donation is right here: USCGA Elite Athlete Fundraiser.
We wish John luck and excited to see a PBC member represent! Go go go!
