HOW Chats with NBC Sports Boston's "On Her Mark"

This past weekend, Hope On Water made its way to Boston for the Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest three day regatta in the world and one of the most iconic events in rowing. Myrna and Keira Gotrell competed together in the Directors' Challenge Parent/Child Doubles, racing the historic Charles River course as mother and daughter.

A Conversation Worth Having

While in Boston, Myrna and Keira sat down with Hannah Donnelly of NBC Sports Boston for an episode of the "On Her Mark" podcast, a series that spotlights female athletes and women in sports blazing trails for the next generation. They talked about how Keira first fell in love with rowing and decided to start a team in high school because she wanted her community to have the same opportunity she saw in the sport, the success of the team and what it's like now coaching side by side as mother and daughter, and about how their journey lead to the start of Hope On Water. They also spoke candidly about Myrna's breast cancer diagnosis, how the water became a place for the two of them to connect through it, and about racing the Head of the Charles together as the two of them, all these years later.

Racing for a Reason

HOCR weekend is usually held October, which is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a cause the Gotrells know all too well. Myrna is currently undergoing treatment for stage four breast cancer, and rowing alongside her daughter has become part of how they've navigated that fight together, a piece of their story they shared with Hannah on the podcast. Years ago, while Myrna was going through cancer treatment, she noticed Keira was struggling with the diagnosis, and getting on the water together became a way to reassure her daughter that she wasn't going anywhere. What started as something to help Keira cope turned into a Sunday morning ritual on their home lake, just the two of them in a double with no structure and no agenda, a feel good place that became theirs alone. This year, that same double made its way to the Charles.

For Keira, that connection between rowing and mental health runs even deeper. Being one of few Black athletes in a mostly white sport, both in her junior rowing career and even more so in college, took a toll that only deepened when a serious injury sidelined her and stripped away a huge part of her identity. She came home from college hating a sport she had once loved, feeling like it was the reason for so much pain. Over time she came to understand that she was more than just a rower, and that finding other outlets, like self care, gave rowing room to become something she could enjoy again rather than something that defined her entirely. That perspective is part of what she brought into the conversation with Hannah.

You can listen to the full episode of "On Her Mark" by clicking above or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

A Full Circle Moment

For HOW, the Head of the Charles was more than a race. It was a chance to show what the sport has given this family, and to use that platform to speak to something bigger than rowing itself. Thank you to everyone who followed along, cheered from the banks of the Charles, and helped HOW carry its mission to Boston.