November 22, 2025
Hello NMRC!
Happy Thanksgiving! This is a great time of year to set goals for your next season on the water. If you’re looking for company and motivation, both can be found 4 days a week at the Sleeping Bear Bay Club in Maple City. NMRC has also established a Concept 2 team online for those who are erging independently and miss the inspiration of team work. Details below.
Welcome to 3 New NMRC Board Members!
Marti Chamberlain, Gary Chleboun and Cam Lanphier have joined the NMRC Board! We are looking forward to the fresh insight they will bring. Here’s a little background from our new Board members:
Cam: I grew up on the East Coast, but spent almost 35 years living just north of San Francisco. I taught high school math for 25+ years. Since both my husband Edward and I retired in 2016, we have spent the majority of our time at Glen Lake. We have 4 children and 8 grandchildren who live in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Denver. I have served on a number of non-profit boards including the University of Michigan School of Education Dean’s Advisory Board and the American Platform Tennis Association. I currently serve on the boards of Miss Porter’s School and the Leelanau Conservancy.
I began rowing on Glen Lake four years ago with NMRC. When I am in California, I row with Marin Rowing Association so am fortunate to be able to be in a boat year round. Sculling is my go-to and a quad is my favorite boat, although I will hop into an eight if there is an empty seat.
I am eager to reignite rowing at Glen Lake Yacht Club where I learned and to foster a strong program with the collaboration of NMRC and GLYC.
Marti: My husband Paul and I have lived north of Suttons Bay for the past 13 years. There, we maintain beehives and grow peaches, berries, and concord grapes, while managing numerous garden beds. Our five grandchildren (ages 4-12) enjoy visiting and helping with chores around the property. I enjoy hiking, canning, crocheting, and reading. This May, I'll retire from Cornell University, concluding my 30+ year career spent mostly in corporate learning – just in time for outdoor rowing season!
This past summer was my first full season rowing with NMRC, and I am now in my second indoor season. While I rowed with another club in 2013, it wasn't until joining NMRC that I truly felt I belonged. I love everything about rowing at NMRC: the mental and physical challenges, the community, and all the related activities.
In my new role as a board member, I'm ready to serve wherever needed. My particular interests lie in helping to grow our competitive program while ensuring that everyone feels welcome, regardless of their rowing aspirations.
Gary: I am a physical therapist and have spent most of my career in an academic setting balancing teaching and research. In the last 10 years of my career at Ohio University, I served as the chair of a department that included graduate programs in physical therapy, hearing and speech sciences, and physician assistant practice. I retired in 2021, but then went back to serve as an interim chair of just the physical therapy department for 2023 and 2024. My wife, Mary, and I live by Glen Lake for most of the year and for the past 2 years we have spent winters in Durham, NC near our son’s family. We have another son and daughter-in-law in Chicago. Our daughter and son-in-law live in Flagstaff, AZ.
I always wanted to learn to row, but never had the opportunity until the summer of 2021 when I participated in an NMRC learn to row. I was immediately hooked and now enjoy balancing being on the water rowing with road and mountain biking.
I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the club and getting to know this great group of people. I want to learn more about the inner workings of the club and to do what I can to help grow the membership and explore possible club interest in an adaptive rowing program.
December 6 Indoor Learn to Row
Tell your row-curious friends to NMRC’s December 6th IndoorLearn to Row event at the Sleeping Bay Bear Club! There will be 18 spots available. Free admission | $15 suggested donation. Please sign up in iCrew or email row@northernmichiganrowing.club.
Indoor Winter Training 2025/2026
Don’t miss the Rowvember last two sessions! Rovember sessions are FREE to any paid on-water 2025 member.
Winter Training Early bird $50 discount available through November 30! Winter training consists of:
One hour indoor rowing sessions for all levels of rowers
Sessions held at the Sleeping Bear Bay Club, Maple City
Space for 9 rowers (possibly more if we get additional machines) -toggle in to reserve your seat!
Leaders are member volunteers
Schedule:
Monday & Wednesday Evenings 6pm
Friday Mornings 6am
Saturday Mornings 9am
Full Season Memberships: December - April
Purchase December 1 or after - $250
Drop In rate: $15 per session, based on availability*
* All sessions have limited space. Members must toggle in on iCrew to reserve a spot. Drop-in reservations available within 48 hours of session, if space is available.
NMRC Concept 2 Online Team Sign up
If you’re looking to stay connected and pursue goals from home and have a Concept 2 erg, you can log in to https://log.concept2.com/ and sign up for the NMRC rowing team. We will be participating in a variety of online rowing challenges throughout the winter.
Contact Lindy or Diane with questions.
Member Volunteering
Carol Adler has offered to take on the important club job of NMRC’s Newsletter starting in the new year. We appreciate her willingness to help with club communication!
Volunteerism is vital to our community club. Please email row@northernmichiganrowing.club if you are interested in helping in a supporting role.
Record time Big Boat De-Rigging!
Seriously folks, de-rigging 2025 was amazingly efficient! Thank you to the many hands on deck, on trailer, and on stash and stow! All that good organization and effort will make the start of next season much easier!
End of Season Celebration
30 + NMRC members celebrated the end of a successful 2025 rowing season at the Sleeping Bear Bay Club in Maple City. Dana C. Fear, our coach for novice members received NMRC’s first ever D’OH Award. The trophy, inspired by Homer Simpson, was conceived and constructed by long time rower and active NMRC member, Rich Bahle. The D’OH Award encourages members to own up to and thus cleanse themselves of a rowing faux pas committed during the season.
Dana, we appreciate your sharing your moment. While coaching a fellow rower in a double, Dana says she encouraged the rower to “relax your shoulders.” Moments later, visiting coach, Megan Kuehm, called out from the launch, “Dana, relax your shoulders!” That’s a D’oh moment. Stop by Dana’s studio in Cedar to appreciate Homer’s place of honor (and his silent excruciating judgment). Dana looks forward to passing Homer on at the end of next season!
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
December 1 - April: Start of official Winter Training at Sleeping Bear Bay Club
December 6- Indoor Learn to Row event
DONATIONS APPRECIATED!
We are a volunteer, member run 501c3 and depend on donations to sustain our club. Membership fees go toward overhead costs and staff (coaches/coxswains). All equipment repair and upgrades are supported by the generous donations of our community.
NMRC is now registered to receive donations via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from Fidelity Charitable. So if you have investments with Fidelity, it is easier and more secure to make donations to NMRC!
Click the button to make a donation today!