This summer, RowLA’s Nevaeh Rhodes was given an amazing opportunity to attend
Arshay Cooper’s Craftsbury Camp in Vermont. The camp is designed for rowers of color and provides a unique opportunity to connect with fellow rowers who share similar identities and experiences. This select group of athletes got to spend the week focusing on technique, speed, leadership skills, mental toughness and much more under the guidance of experienced coaches and peers. One of those coaches was our very own Coach Hicu’s wife, Antonia Emanuella Abreu Motta (Manu), who eagerly volunteered to share her knowledge and expertise as a high performance athlete. Here’s what Nevaeh had to say about her time at the camp, “The week at Arshey Coopers camp was the most amazing experience I could have asked for. The camp allowed me to be vulnerable and connect with others who could relate to me. I loved everything from the group therapy session to playing uno in the common room to swimming in the lake or just getting to row in my single!”
Arshay Cooper and his fund ‘America’s Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund’ (AMBTIF),
are invaluable supporters of RowLA, providing our program with grants and equipment. Similar to our own mission, the AMBTIF program aims to break barriers within the sport of rowing by increasing access for diverse and under-resourced youth to rowing programs across the country and the globe.
