These international competitions, owned by FISA (rowing’s international governing body), were held every four years starting in 1961. Since 1981, they have been held annually.

Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida was chosen to host the 2017 World Rowing Championships. It is currently the only Grade A-rated FISA rowing course in North America. For only the second time in the history of these World Championships — and first time in 23 years — the United States would host the rowing championships. A group of Chautauqua Lake Rowing members had the great fortune of attending and volunteering at the venue.

About two years ago, CLRA member Diane Paterniti happened to be in Florida for one of her family’s regular winter visits. It was at that time she first heard about volunteer opportunities. However, it wasn’t until early 2017 when she saw a Facebook post about volunteering for the Championship Regatta that allowed her to act. Paterniti requested volunteers from CLRA membership and quickly filled the open slots. The CLRA team included Ali Odrzywolski, Jan Odrzywolski, Kathleen McCarthy, Carol Samuelson, Jim Odrzywolski, Paterniti, high school rower Alexis Barron and her mother Courtney Barron. A fellow CLRA member who winters in Florida, Clem Reiss, was an additional volunteer.

As this worldwide event was expected to draw 69 countries, nearly 2,000 volunteers were needed to manage the 1,700 athletes, 40,000 attendees, media and vendors. Various training sessions were held in Florida leading up the to the event long before CLRA members could be present. For the local contingent, training was to be done online. As the local volunteers were awaiting training notification, it soon became clear that deadly Hurricane Irma’s path was aimed directly at Florida’s panhandle. While Floridians wondered and worried about the impact of the massive storm, the rowing community also watched and waited out the consequences of Irma. The storm struck southern Florida less than two weeks from the start of World Championship events. A few short days after Irma’s passage, it was determined that damage to the rowing venue and surrounding community was relatively minimal. This meant the competition could be safely held.

Rowers from France, Romania, Poland and New Zealand are seen during a qualifying race at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Fla.

With notification of power restoration to the Sarasota area and volunteer training completed, CLRA members traveled to Florida. Upon arrival at the rowing venue, volunteers obtained official credentials, event staff shirts, hats and programs. Before the crowds arrived, CLRA members wandered the grounds to gain a sense of the event and the volunteer locations that we would be responsible to work.

As the first day of volunteering dawned, it was immediately clear to CLRA team members that this truly was an international event. Media members from countries around the world were present. Athletes wearing uniforms bearing country colors and abbreviations were readily evident. The sheer physical size of these athletes was also quite impressive. Many of the women competitors were over 6 feet tall while many of the men were over 6-foot-5. Races at the international level are competed over a 2,000-meter course in six adjacent lanes. New to this year’s event was an increase of length raced from 1,000 meters to 2,000 meters for adaptive rowers — athletes with various disabilities.

The local contingent each volunteered for three five-hour sessions. Sessions consisted of working with the media, as runners and as setup personnel; in the hospitality tent serving water and food to volunteers; with the athletes for access and check-in; ticket sellers; and finish-line tower access. Every person onsite, be it spectator, media, volunteer or athlete had credentials that gave them various degrees of access to the facilities. Volunteer tasks included screening out those with improper credentials, doing so courteously and with a smile. The CLRA contingent was fortunate to achieve virtually unlimited access to all areas providing a very broad and rich experience to the weeklong event. Some of the most challenging conditions for the CLRA volunteers were the temperature extremes. Temperatures in any of the highly air-conditioned tents were in the low 60s while temperatures outside soared into the mid-90s. Moving between the tents and outdoors made clothing choices difficult due to the temperature extremes.

The event had a bit of local flavor added to the US Rowing team this year. Chautauqua Lake Rowing was visited earlier in the 2017 summer by a group of women athletes from the Saratoga Springs area. These athletes were using the visit as a way-stop to Club Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. Their training row in single sculls started at the CLRA dock finishing at the Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club for a full 8K. After a brief rest, they rowed back to CLRA docks. These young women were training with hopes of making the US Rowing Team. Two of the young women’s dreams were fulfilled. They competed for the US squad rowing in the quad and finishing fifth overall in the world.

As volunteer sessions were completed, the CLRA contingent explored Nathan Benderson Park, it’s myriad of vendors, the various facilities set up for the world-class competition, and took in numerous rowing races over several days. Most impressive was the ability of the athletes to compete at a high level despite temperatures and humidity levels that were leaving spectators and volunteers dreaming of cooler breezes. Our group visited some family and friends in southern Florida, explored a couple of museums, and took in a couple of local beaches. Mostly, the CLRA members were impressed by having walked and volunteered among the giants in the rowing world. This was truly a World Class experience for the members of the Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Finish Tower is lit up at night during the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Fla. The tower housed various local and international dignitaries, race timing officials from Switzerland, international FISA delegates and volunteers. Photo courtesy of Jim Odrzywolski

Jim Odrzywolski is a Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association coach and board member as well as the high school program coordinator.