I would like to offer my personal and heartfelt thank you for your generous support of the Sarasota Scullers. Your belief in this club and its mission makes a real and lasting difference—not only to our athletes today, but to the people they will become tomorrow.

The Sarasota Scullers were founded in 1991. Just one year later, a boat I was part of set a world best time in the Lightweight Men’s Eight—a record that still stands. That continuity matters to me. Longevity in sport does not happen by accident; it is built through commitment, values, and people who believe in something larger than a single season. Our club carries that same spirit.

I had the honor of representing my country at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, becoming a three‑time World Champion, and learning through rowing lessons that shaped my life far beyond the water. Discipline, resilience, responsibility, teamwork—these are not abstract ideas. They are lived experiences forged through daily effort, success, and failure.

This is what the Sarasota Scullers offer young athletes and children today. Through rowing, they are given a place to discover who they are, to understand their role within a team, and to find their place in society. Some will go on to lead in sport, others in business, education, or their communities—but all will be shaped by the lessons this sport teaches.

Your support allows us to care for our fleet, sustain our programs, and continue creating an environment where young people can grow with purpose and confidence. You are investing not only in boats and equipment, but in character, leadership, and futures.

Thank you for standing behind the Sarasota Scullers and for believing in what this club represents. I am deeply grateful for your trust and generosity.

With sincere appreciation,

Bernhard Stomporowski
Olympian, Atlanta 1996
Three‑Time World Champion
World Best Time Holder – Lightweight Men’s Eight
Head Coach, Sarasota Scullers

Because greatness doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s built — stroke by stroke, athlete by athlete, community by community.

The Sarasota Scullers are more than a rowing program. They are a proving ground for character, ambition, and excellence. Every day on the water, young athletes learn what it means to commit fully — to their teammates, to their goals, and to a standard higher than themselves.

When you support the Sarasota Scullers, you are investing in discipline over comfort, effort over excuses, and dreams that demand work. You are helping turn early mornings into lifelong habits. You are helping transform raw potential into purpose.

And you don’t have to take our word for it.

Listen to our athletes.

In the videos on this page, you’ll hear rowers speak openly about what this program has given them — confidence when things get hard, resilience when setbacks come, and belief in what they’re capable of achieving. They talk about coaches who know them personally, a team culture that refuses to settle for average, and an environment where effort is noticed and excellence is expected.

That impact is real — and it lasts.

Behind every powerful stroke on the water is a community that makes it possible. Support from donors and sponsors fuels coaching, equipment, travel, access, and opportunity. It opens doors for athletes who might otherwise never discover how far they can go — in rowing and in life. It allows the Sarasota Scullers to compete, to grow, and to represent Sarasota with pride at the highest levels.

This is not just about winning races.
It’s about building strong, focused, motivated young people who carry these lessons far beyond the boathouse.

When you support the Sarasota Scullers, you become part of that story.

You stand on the dock when the sun comes up.
You’re there in the final 500 meters when legs burn and resolve is tested.
You are part of every breakthrough, every breakthrough season, every life changed.

Support Sarasota Scullers.
Support excellence.
Support the next generation of leaders.