On August 8th, 2017 a very special men to Oregon Rowing Unlimited passed away: Masters Coach Stephen Loaiza. Stephen officially joined our team last fall. In that relatively short time, he made an immeasurable impact on our club, on our Masters Team, and on countless individual rowers.
Rowing was one of Stephen's great passions; it nurtured his body and his soul. One of his biggest thrills was offering others a glimpse of the joy that rowing could bring. Over the years, he shared his passion with people of all age groups, genders, abilities, and walks of life. He brought people together, on the water and in life.
We are so fortunate that Stephen shared his gifts with us. According to him, you don't "choose" rowing, rowing chooses you. All we know is that we are grateful that WE chose Stephen. He will live in our hearts, and in our rowing, every day.