The Launch
Athlete Spotlight: Isabella Pearson
Meet Isabella, a sophomore and student-athlete at Purdue, who balances a busy academic schedule with her love for rowing, dance, and soccer. Growing up as a competitive gymnast, she never anticipated rowing to become such an integral part of her life. In fact, she was initially reluctant to trade her sparkly leotards for the waters of an estuary, but rowing quickly won her over with its technical demands and the strong sense of teamwork she found on the water. Isabella sat down with JL to share her journey into rowing, her tips for novice rowers, race day rituals, and the role models who inspire her both on and off the water.
Team JL 2025 Ambassador Program
Are you passionate about rowing and eager to share your love for the sport with a wider audience? Do you want to join forces with JL and help elevate our brand while building connections within the rowing community? If you enjoy creating engaging content and making an impact, we’re excited to announce that applications for the 2025 Team JL Ambassador Program are open from September 17 to September 26.
Athlete Spotlight: Nikki Hallahan
Meet Nikki Hallahan, a freshman on the rowing team at Purdue University. Nikki started rowing in high school, and hasn't looked back! Her favorite pre-practice snack is a protein shake she makes in her dorm room with protein powder, almond milk, vitamins/supplements, and yogurt. Her favorite seat is bow seat in a 4x, and she is also bisweptual when rowing sweep! Read about how special rowing is to her, what her goals are for the season, and what she recommends to high schoolers considering rowing in college.
Team JL Spotlight: Joanne Culley
Team JL Ambassador Joanne Culley may not have been introduced into the rowing world until she was 43 years old, but she has been loving every minute of it for the last 10 years. Joanne prefers the wildness of rowing at sea over flat water rowing, starting with gig rowing, and more recently - coastal rowing. Keep reading to learn about gig rowing vs coastal rowing, the exciting World Pilot Gig Championships, and Joanne's goals for Coastal World Championships this year.
JL Spotlight: Kateryna Maistrenko
Kateryna (Katya) Maistrenko grew up around rowing. Her mom and dad both represented their countries in the 1988 and 1972 Olympics, respectively. They built and operated a large rowing center in Ukraine while Katya grew up. It was only natural that she started rowing when she was just 9 years old. Throughout her rowing career, Katya has rowed on the Ukrainian National Team, as well as for an NCAA Division I school in Washington. She was in the US when the war broke out in Ukraine. She found comfort by continuing to train on the water while also fundraising to support the people of Ukraine.
Team JL Spotlight: Rusna Sangha
Team JL Ambassador, Rusna Sangha is working to increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the sport of rowing, one stroke at a time. After joining her local rowing team, she realized that although there were similarities between her and the other rowers, there was one thing that made her different: She was one of only three BIPOC athletes on the team. By the end of her novice year, she was the only BIPOC athlete left on the team. Read about Rusna's story, and her goals for not only herself as a rower, but for increasing DEI in rowing as a community.
