Whatcom Rowing Association

Our Coaches

Sydney began rowing as a middle schooler for Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA) in Pittsburgh, PA in 2011. After trying so many sports, rowing was the one that stuck. She fell in love with the rhythm and challenge of big boats and the Growing in competitive speed and ability with TRRA, Sydney qualified for and raced at USRowing’s Youth Nationals in a lightweight 4+ her senior year as team captain. After five years with Three Rivers, Sydney moved to Buffalo, NY where she was recruited to row for Canisius College. She raced all four years in the first varsity 8+ which broke school records for the highest conference finish. Sydney also co-captained her team for 2 consecutive years, earned All-Conference Second team and All-Conference Academic team honors. In the summers, she had the opportunity to row for West Side Rowing Club (WSRC) where she was able to race in several events at the Canadian Henley and earned the WSRC Women’s .

Sydney began her coaching career working summer Learn-to-Row camps for both TRRA and WSRC. She interned for the USRowing Men’s High Performance team as well as the Midwest Olympic Development program over the course of several summers. She moved to Ashland, Oregon in 2019 where she began coaching with Rogue Rowing. There, she built and maintained a robust novice program and later became the Head Coach and Development Director of the juniors program. She believes that each athlete who comes into the boathouse matters and plays an integral role in building and developing long-lasting personal and team success. Focusing on building body and boat awareness, Sydney turns to what athletes can do rather than what they cannot. She aims to build an environment that is challenging, supportive, and welcoming to any and all who wish to show up for both themselves and their boatmates.

Kathleen Faust is an avid competitive sculler and certified level 2 rowing coach. Her coaching experience in the San Francisco Bay Area includes coaching for NorCal Crew – Novice Men, Bair Island Aquatic Center – Learn to Row, Masters, and Para Athletes, and Palo Alto Rowing – Juniors.

A life-long teacher, she loves to help people of all ages build their fitness and find the same life-long love of an active and healthy lifestyle. Growth Mindset, technical analysis and the joy of working out drive her coaching style. Each athlete is unique and Coach Kathleen strives to meet the individual where they are and help them achieve their rowing goals. She thrives in the PNW outdoors – rowing, hiking, biking, surfskiing, and ocean kayaking. Her life has always been centered on water sports including sailing and wind-surfing. Her hobbies include cooking, knitting, reading, and taking care of her fluffy canine companion, Toby!
Kathleen graduated from Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon with degrees in Flute Performance. She began her professional life as an orchestral flutist, playing with orchestras on the east coast as well as touring the US and Europe with the American Wind Symphony. She raised 4 children, taught elementary music to 1000 children per week for 6 years, was a Pastoral Associate for the Catholic Church, and taught second grade before retiring and moving to Washington State.

Morgan initially started rowing in 2017 as a way to gain more strength during the off seasons of gymnastics. Following one of her fellow teammates on the gymnastics team, she began practicing at Vancouver Lake, and rowing soon became her favorite sport. Morgan loved the sense of comradery she felt after each practice, and enjoyed the meditative benefits of rowing. In 2019, she was bow seat of the winning 2V 2x at the NW Regionals Junior Regionals. With high hopes of making it to the 2020 Youth Nationals Championships and finishing out a solid Junior rowing career, her rowing goals were put on pause from the covid lockdown.

However, during quarantine she shifted her focus to training for the Western Washington University (WWU) Women’s tryouts. After moving to Bellingham in 2021, she walked on to the team and began her college rowing career. In 2022, she was six seat of the V8 + that placed first in the Women’s Varsity 8+ D2/D3/Club category at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. In the same season, she was six seat in the V8 + that placed first at the Greater Northwest Academic Conference, which automatically qualified them to the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships. At Nationals, in the most intense race Morgan has ever been in, the V8 + placed 2nd in the Grand Final, falling behind Mercyhurst by just 0.03 seconds. This race helped the team to win their National Runner-up title. In 2023, Morgan was 5 seat of the V8+ that won the Petite Final at the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships, leading to a 4th place team finish.

After graduating from WWU in June of 2023, Morgan is excited to share her knowledge and joy for rowing with both Juniors and Masters. When it comes to coaching, she values the process and wants to curate a positive environment for all ages to feel comfortable in. She hopes to create rewarding experiences for all her rowers.

Coming Soon…

Courtney is in her ninth year as the top assistant for the WWU Rowing program, in 2017 she helped to lead the Vikings to their eighth NCAA DII National Championship and as assistant coach was recognized as the Vikings were named the DII 2017 Staff of the year. Before coming to Bellingham in 2015 to coach the Vikings she coached the previous 10 years in the greater Seattle area. Two as operations manager of Renton Rowing Center, a community boathouse of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, following eight as program director and junior women’s coach for Sammamish Rowing Association. In 2014, as junior women’s coach at PRC, her first novice eight, second novice eight and novice four all placed first at Northwest Junior Regionals. While at SRA, her teams captured points trophy championships at Brentwood Regatta four straight years (2008-11). Her varsity eight was victorious at Brentwood Regatta, Opening Day Regatta and Northwest Junior Regionals in both 2010 and 2011. Her crews made appearances at U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships from 2008 to 2012, including fifth place finish by lightweight eight in 2009 and sixth place finish by varsity eight in 2010. Her Masters crews were regular contenders for medals at both local and national regattas including Tail of the Lake, Head of the Charles, Head of the Lake, Opening Day, and NW Masters Regionals. Member of WWU’s first NCAA Division II national championship team in 2005 as stroke of varsity four. Holds U.S. Rowing Level III coaching certificate. When she’s not at the boathouse coaching she can be found hitting the hiking trails or paddle-boarding with her right-hand girl, Lexie the Dog!

“Double Bubble” Rules and Regulations:

Independent Adult Members (if interested) may self-select a double partner that they agree to row with.
Independent Members are only allowed ONE doubles partner at this time.
ALL members regardless of whether or not you are entering into a “Double Bubble” need to sign the COVID Participation Waiver and Sculling Protocols Agreement.
You will be prompted to enter the name of your 2x’s partner while filling out the agreement form.
You will receive confirmation that your Double Bubble has been approved once both rowers have completed the COVID Participation Waiver and Sculling Protocols Agreement.
It is critical that we have accurate records of when members are in the boathouse. This is already required when rowing without a coach but as a reminder: Whether you are rowing independently in a private boat, club boat, or in 2x you MUST sign in and out on the Sculling Logbook (located on the bulletin board).
2x rowers will need to use the reservation calendar, as with singles there are no “Drop-Ins” allowed at this time. 2x’s should default to red sculling oars as the others are rigged for 1x’s at this time. Coached programming is indicated on the reservation calendar to help with dock/equipment usage.
Please note additional protocols that need to be followed for ALL rowers utilizing the WRA boathouse listed in the agreement below.
ALL Rowers (parents/guardians) must complete the WRA COVID Participation Waiver and Sculling Protocol Agreement.

We are relying on your cooperation and adherence to the protocols listed above and in the agreement to keep everyone at WRA healthy and safe!

Our Coaches

Sydney Bichsel

Kathleen Faust

Morgan MacIntyre

Molly Mastrorilli

Courtney Moeller