Steve Onken
Steve Onken learned to row in June of 1984, as an out gay member of the Austin Rowing Club (ARC). Since that time, he has involved himself in almost every aspect of rowing life:
Served as Vice President of the Austin Rowing Club Chair of the Heart of Texas Regatta Chair of the Pumpkin Head Regatta A Learn to Row Instructor A Regatta Official Member of various club committees within the Austin Rowing Club
In October 1996, starting with a crew of five, Steve recruited, organized, and developed a gay and lesbian rowing squad, Row Team Austin (RTA). Built on the principles of inclusion and participation, the Squad’s goal was to compete in the 1998 International Amsterdam Gay Games. RTA fielded 40 rowers at the Games (the largest rowing team contingent), advancing 14 crews into 10 finals and capturing 4 golds and 2 silvers. The squad’s victory in Amsterdam capped an unparalleled winning streak. Between August 1997 and October of 1998, the RTA crews earned 11 gold, 9 silver, and 6 bronze finishes in their first year of competition Following on their success in Amsterdam, RTA members infused new energy into the Austin Rowing Club, contributing to several U.S. Master Nationals successes, including Steve’s participation in winning the Men’s A 8+ in 1999.
Wanting to contribute to national and international organizing efforts among GLBT rowers, Steve led RTA to develop and host the first RTA Winter Rowing Retreat in 2000. The rowing camp was open to all GLBT rowers and coincided with the US holiday, President’s weekend, in February.
In August of 2000, Steve accepted a faculty position at Columbia University in New York City. ARC honored his contributions by asking him to name the Club’s new eight, The Bosbaan Gold. Subsequently, the Club named a new quad after him, The Onken. Row Team Austin and the Winter Rowing Retreat have continued to flourish and Steve has remained active in the rowing community. He has rowed with RTA alumni all over the world and has returned to Austin to row with ARC and RTA members on several occasions. Currently, Steve is developing the first GLBT rowing club in New York City.
Enric Nitzsche
Enric began rowing in 1980 in Cologne as member of the 'Kölner Club für Wassersport'. Trained in the classic European fashion as a sculler in school, Enric is now an accomplished oarsman. Currently, he rows for the 'Friedrichshagener Ruderverein', Berlin
Enric has been actively involved in organized gay and lesbian rowing regattas in Europe:
He was one of the main planners for the two International queerSchlag Regattas in Berlin 2001/2002 He is the rowing adviser for the Euro Games Munich 2004 Regatta He is a founding member of the “Games Berlin e.V” and he is preparing the rowing regatta portion of the Gay Games bid of Berlin for the year 2010
In terms of rowing experience, Enric has racked up a continuous string of victories in his participation in the local European gay and lesbian regattas including:
2nd place 4x, 3rd place 2x at the International QueerSchlag regatta 2001 1st place 4x at the Amsterdam Pride regatta 2001
He is a member of the gay and lesbian umbrella rowing group of Berlin, queerSchlag, and has been a guest rower at 'Ruderclub am Wannsee', in Berlin, 'Kölner Ruderclub von
1877', in Cologne, and at the 'Orion Rowing Club', in London.
Enric plans to participate at the Euro Games Munich 2004 regatta and the Rendezvous Montreal 2006 regatta
Sandy Mitchell
Sandy Mitchell began rowing in 1976 aged 12 carrying more than his body weight in lead as a coxswain at Scotch College, and Mercantile Rowing Club (Melbourne). He stopped rowing at 19 after failing to "make weight" for the big crews but returned to it in 2001 as Head Coach of the YWCA Rowing Club.
At the same time, Sandy served as founding member and inaugural Secretary of the Melbourne Argonauts Queer Rowing Club where he continues to cox and coach (and occasionally scull). Sandy is also fulfilling a two year term as a director of Rowing Victoria, one of rour regional associations serving the national governing body, Rowing Ausralia.
Sandy is currently preparing for his Boat Race Official's License.
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