Eighty years ago this week, the eight-oar
rowing team from the USA won a gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
"The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James
Brown tells the dramatic story of the unlikely group of nine boys from the
University of Washington who overcame extreme adversity to win an Olympic gold
medal. Below is a photo of the UW crew, in the top lane, crossing the finishing
line first in Berlin.
How these working class boys – the
sons of fishermen, loggers, miners, and manual workers – prevailed over teams
from elite Eastern colleges and went on to win Olympic gold is an unforgettable
story.
The “Husky Clipper” – the wooden racing
shell that carried the UW boys to victory in 1936 – is displayed at the University
of Washington’s Conibear Shellhouse. This shell was crafted by boat-building
legend George Pocock. It was a moving experience for me to see the shell the magnificent
boys rowed to victory. Below is a photo of the Husky Clipper, suspended upside
down from the ceiling, at the Conibear Shellhouse.
