BRYN MAWR, Pa. - Last week, the Bryn Mawr College Rowing Team skillfully commenced Black History Month with two eventful days of outreach and inspiration with the help and support of BLJ Community Rowing founder Brannon Johnson. BMC Rowing Head Coach Katie Ely described the week as "such an enjoyable experience." 

    Learning a lot from months of connecting and preparing, Coach Ely felt especially honored that Brannon agreed to collaborate and speak on campus. "It was inspiring to get an in-depth look at the intention, passion, and innovation Brannon has poured into her 'Boathouse Without Walls' to create a truly accessible community on Boathouse Row. I really admire the work she is doing in the rowing community, and I was happy we were able to provide Brannon with an opportunity on campus to share her vision." 

    Senior Rowing Captain Sara Radmall has often been rollerblading by the Schuylkill River, passing the Brannon L. Johnson Community Rowing Club trailer, inspiring her to learn more. In search of ideas for integrating Bryn Mawr Rowing into the Greater Philly Community, the team contacted BLJ. Sara expressed how "the 'Learn to Row' event was inspired by [the] team's desire to show that rowing is for everyone regardless of experience, age, or background."

    Beginning in 2006, Brannon coached rowing alongside training with the U.S. National Team, but not without noticing, she was the only woman of color. Since then, Brannon has focused more intently on creating additional opportunities for others to enter the sport of rowing – her strong inspiration for developing BLJ Community Rowing. The club was made official in 2013, known as the "boathouse without walls," the only African American-owned and operated rowing club in the United States. Brannon's club has been tremendous "in an effort to improve the quality of community and culture," closely following her initiative to bring rowing and Learn to Row camps to areas where rowing may not traditionally exist.
           
    On Wednesday evening, February 7th, the Bryn Mawr Athletic Alliance and Bryn Mawr Rowing Team hosted a talk by Brannon entitled, "Disruptive Innovation: How to Create Sustainable Change." She shared her experience in collegiate athletics and rowing, acting as a vehicle for a better life and a driving factor to work harder. Additionally, she discussed BLJ's story and initiatives, but most impactful was her conversation on "how to rely on the 4 D's: be Decent, be Different, be Disciplined, and be Decisive." As best expressed by assistant coach Annie Sniffen, Brannon shared "that coming back to Philadelphia, where she learned to row, has created a community of caring athletes who previously did not have the key to the gates of the traditional boat clubs. Fostering mentorship with her coaches, [Brannon] gives everyone the power to open that gate to all." 

    A few days later, on Saturday, February 10th, the talk was followed up with a fun and active "Learn to Row" event. The morning brought together numerous students, faculty, and staff, with additional support from Newark, N.J.'s historic non-profit rowing community, "Brick City Rowing," coached by Craig White. "We were excited to have the opportunity to host a space where Brick City Rowing, BLJ Community Rowing, and our Bryn Mawr athletes were able to connect and row 500m pieces together," said Coach Ely. According to junior rowing captain Claire Ford, Saturday "was full of energy…filled with incredible people who were excited to try a new sport, help teach rowing, and just cheer one another on." So many like-minded people in one space, actively working to make a change "in line with [the BLJ] mission… the dichotomy of both teams was exactly the kind of event that this sport needs more of," shared Brannon. 
           
     After weeks of collaboration and finally bringing these two events to fruition, rowing captain Sara shared how thoroughly she enjoyed the time with Brannon and her team. "Not only is Brannon an incredible athlete whose love for rowing was evident in every meeting, but she's also passionate about actively changing the rowing community. Working with her helped us understand better how we can support and promote diverse backgrounds in rowing and help rowing become a more inclusive sport." With a week of incorporating, sharing, and, most importantly, participating in change with Bryn Mawr's rowing team, Brannon feels "disruptive innovation is incredibly important because the landscape has shifted under our feet. The rowing world is changing because it has to, and some organizations are going to handle that change better than others. I think Bryn Mawr is one of those organizations."