The following is reprinted from Row As One's Newsletter, Reach.

Why Do We Row
After the first Row As One camp (the first masters women rowing camp), I wanted to further understand "why do masters women row?" The results of a survey I conducted provides an interesting perspective of who we are as athletes and women.

The mean age of the 55 rowers who participated is 46. Mean years rowing for the women in the sample is 7, and the mean age for beginning rowing is 37. Over half of the women in the sample have been rowing for 2 -5 years.

Rowing as a Primary Sport: Competitive and Recreational

	85% of the women consider rowing to be their primary sport.
	93% of the women compete
	The sample is very involved with rowing at a competitive level.
	The opportunity to develop physical strength in general and in rowing were both important to the women in the sample, with physical strength in rowing being more important.
	Physical strength in rowing and health in general were the most important values.

Reasons for Rowing
The most often mentioned reason for rowing (70%) was "friendship and camaraderie", followed by "mental and physical challenges" and "health and fitness" (both 69%). 57% of the women surveyed mentioned their "love for being on the water." 54% of the sample mentioned "team/teamwork" aspect of rowing, while 50% stated "rhythm/grace".

The Physical and Emotional Needs of Masters Women Rowers
Friendship and camaraderie, as distinct from team/teamwork were most often mentioned as some of the most positive affects and aspects they liked best about rowing.

Age-Related Patterns
In the sample there were very few correlations between age. The emotional and physical needs of the women in the sample, and the reasons they gave for rowing, seem to have very little to do with age.

It seems we row as much for one another as we do for ourselves.