Community Rowing, Inc. (CRI) was founded in Boston in 1985 by a group of Olympic and National Team rowers who wanted to expand access and increase diversity within the sport of rowing. We are now the largest public access rowing organization in the world with more than 12,000 active participants from the Greater Boston area.
Our mission is “Rowing for All” and we make the sport accessible without regard to individual ability, background, experience, or income. We aim to change lives, from the eighth-grader living with food insecurity who finds new stability and connections at CRI, to adults rediscovering what it means to be on a team, to the student with disabilities who develops confidence and a lifelong love of rowing. CRI is the USRowing Para Training Center, the first national training center for rowers with disabilities in the United States, and we are committed to advancing Para Rowing at all levels. Our programs are transformative, inspiring teamwork and cooperation, self-advocacy and drive, and a deep appreciation for our city.
Community Rowing is thrilled to have athletes fundraising for the Boston Marathon in support of our Para Rowing programs, giving youth and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities an opportunity to experience the profound physical and mental benefits of rowing. Our marathon runners will be providing direct support to CRI’s innovation and advocacy for Para athletes and for the continuing development of our inclusion programs.