A Brain Injury, An Erg, and a Stubborn Will to Keep Going
Carolyn Webster-Stratton returned to rowing at Vashon Island Rowing Club in July, 12 years after sustaining a brain injury in a bicycle crash.
Carolyn Webster-Stratton had been an active masters rower when she flipped over her handlebars while out for a bike ride in 2013. She can’t remember the first two weeks after the accident, but clearly remembers doctors painting a grim prognosis of her future with a traumatic brain injury. With a personal mantra of “keep going” and a dedication to recovery that includes daily long sessions on the erg, Carolyn returned to rowing in July 2025. After 12 years off the water, she's switched from sweep to sculling and is building new neural pathways.
GUEST:
Carolyn Webster-Stratton
Professor Emeritus, University of Washington
Founder, The Incredible Years
Member, Vashon Rowing Club
This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons
QUICK LOOK
00:00 - Episode intro
02:25 - Rowing Week
03:45 - The Huddle
07:24 - Hot Seat Q&A
11:11 - Carolyn’s rowing origin story
13:58 - A bike accident, a brain injury, and stubbornly pushing (instead of resting) through recovery
22:54 - The best rowing advice Carolyn ever received
20:28 - The human brain, the simplicity of repetition on the erg, and dealing with feelings of inadequacies
when returning to the water
26:00 - Honoring where you’re at in rowing
33:00 - What the rowing life has given Carolyn
36:20 - Steady State Network news and notes
Episode Mentions
EQUIPMENT
Concept2 RowErg
ORGANIZATIONS
Seize the Oar Foundation
Steady State Podcast is hosted and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering, books show guests, and is our sponsor and donor coordinator. Rachel writes our scripts and e-newsletter, and manages the website and social media. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.
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