Several years ago, my friend Elizabeth Burke and I rowed twice a week through the Seattle winter. We ventured out without fail as dawn was breaking - rowing two single shells or a double. We'd row from the Fremont Bridge to the Chittenden Locks and back, or maybe across Lake Union and on to Lake Washington. Sometimes we'd come back to our home at the Lake Washington Rowing Club and wipe the ice off our boats. But we always came back with an irrefutable sense of moral superiority! We'd done it again!

Rowing - particularly Rowing Through the Winter - provides a richness of metaphors...instructive in my life as a Family Physician and the Home Dialysis CarePartner for my profoundly ill husband, Steve Williams. Now that Steve is gone, rowing reminds me of consistency and focus - so critical during grieving. Rowing requires balance, as does my life.

Row with me this winter. Linda Gromko, MD

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Fremont Four-Miler Reminds Me of my Mom's Critique

So the Lake Washington Rowing Club's Senior Master's Women took fouth in the Fremont Four-Miler on Saturday, October 9, 2011. We thought we rowed a good race - and we did. After all, a couple of the women had never rowed that distance before. We had our amazing young coxswain Ellie who could surely motivate a slug to sprint!

Here are some photos. Megan Kruse sent these nice shots of our team with the Seattle skyline in the background:

If you don't look too closely, this shot could go on a calendar!




This one, too. Days like these are why we row!
Here's Megan's portrait of the team:


From Left: Chris, Rosemary, Connie, Linda, Ellie, Cindy, Sally, Carol, Caroline
Now here's one of my personal favorites(!):

When I was a little girl - and a bit strong-willed - my mom used to say in frustration, "Everybody's out of step but Linda!" Well, here's the proof:

t 

Photo by Pete Rudloff
  There I am in the seven seat (starboard stroke). Mom was right!

One of the best things about rowing is that you always get a do-over! See you at the Head of the Troll.

Take care,
Linda Gromko, MD
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