A New Boat, A New Chapter: The 'Myrna & Keira Gotrell'

Sep 28, 2025

3 min read

On September 27, Hope On Water gathered at the Bergen County Rowing Center in Overpeck Park to dedicate our newest rowing shell, a gift made possible through our partnership with the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund and Hudson. The boat was christened the Myrna & Keira Gotrell, named for the mother daughter duo behind HOW's founding and its ongoing work expanding access to rowing in Hackensack and beyond.

A Day Rooted in Gratitude

The dedication brought together HOW athletes, coaches, and board members alongside community members, and friends from across the rowing world. Arshay Cooper, founder of the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, spoke to the crowd about what this partnership means for HOW and for the broader movement to diversify the sport. Arshay's generosity, and the light he brings to every community he touches, has made HOW's impact possible in ways that go far beyond a single boat. Without him and AMBTIF, HOW would not be where it is today.

Government officials and local leaders were in attendance too. Team Gottheimer joined in person to present a commendation from the office of Congressman Josh Gottheimer and the United States House of Representatives, and HOW also received a commendation from Bergen County Executive James Tedesco who was joined by Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Silna Zur. Hackensack Mayor Caseen Gaines and members from the Hackensack School District were also in attendance to celebrate alongside HOW's growing circle of supporters. Recognition at this level, from the halls of Congress down to Hackensack City Hall, is not something that happens for a small community program every day, and it spoke to how far HOW's reach has grown.

Amplifying Athlete Voices

Among the speakers was HOW athlete Jonathan Lopez, who shared his own story with the crowd. Jonathan's path to rowing began with arriving at a new school in a new country and, not long after, joining a sport he had never even heard of before. Rowing was entirely unfamiliar to him. Through Hackensack High's Crew Team, he found not just a sport but a community, and he went on to become a state champion in the single.

Jonathan's story is one example among many on that team and in that community. It is exactly the kind of opportunity Keira Gotrell envisioned when she started the Hackensack High School's crew team, and the kind of opportunity Myrna Gotrell has carried forward by growing Hackensack Crew and continuing to build access to rowing in Hackensack and beyond. The boat bears their names because of the doors they have opened for kids like Jonathan, again and again, for years.

What the Boat Represents

A whole community turned out that day, not just to honor Myrna and Keira, but to celebrate what their work makes possible for the next generation of athletes. Watching the inaugural row was a genuinely moving moment for everyone in attendance, a reminder of just how much rowing can change a young person's life outcomes when the access is actually there. As one attendee put it afterward, this was not just a boat dedication, it was the start of a whole new chapter of impact for the community.

The Myrna & Keira Gotrell will be used by HOW athletes for training and competition for years to come. It is a physical reminder that the opportunities HOW creates are real, that they carry names, stories, and futures, and that a community showed up to invest in the next generation of athletes, students, and leaders who will one day pay it forward themselves.

Thank you to Arshay Cooper and the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, Hudson, and Concept2, and to everyone in Hackensack and beyond who showed up to celebrate equity, youth empowerment, and resilience with us.