Angela Madsen - Rowing Against the Wind

Copyright

ROWING AGAINST THE WIND
2014 Angela Madsen

Published by Hellgate Press
(An imprint of L&R Publishing, LLC)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information and retrieval systems without written permission of the publisher.

Hellgate Press
PO Box 3531
Ashland, OR 97520
www.hellgatepress.com
email: sales@hellgatepress.com

Editor: Harley B. Patrick
Interior design: Michael Campbell, MCWriting.com
Cover design: L. Redding

ISBN: 978-1-55571-751-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Madsen, Angela.
Rowing against the wind / Angela Madsen. -- First edition.
pages cm
1. Madsen, Angela. 2. Women rowers--United States--Biography. 3. Rowers--United States--Biography. 4. Athletes with disabilities--United States--Biography. 5. Veterans--United States--Biography. 6. Self-realization--United States. I. Title.
GV790.92.M337A3 2013
797.123092--dc23
[B]
2013049120

When I pray, I pray for strength to be able!
To be able to endure pain and suffering
To be able to overcome challenges and obstacles
To be able to stay focused on my goals
To be able to do the work

I pray for the strength to do what I need to do on my own,
not for a miracle or for someone to do it for me.

This is my life.
I am not waiting for it to change.
I am not waiting for the world to change;
I am changing what I can.

Vita mutatur, non tollitur: Life is changed, not taken away.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the rest of the worlds most unlikely rowers and to my wife, Debra Moeller, who has gone all in in support of all of my projects. No one does it alone and I contribute a lot of my success to Debs, as she is known to ocean rowers in the UK. Franck Festor and I would not have made it to the starting line of the Atlantic Rowing Race 2007 without her help.

Thanks go out to everyone who did an article or interview and to everyone who forwarded an e-mail and said, Check this out.

For all of my friends on Facebook, Twitter and the World Rowing Network, I am appreciative and grateful.

Huge thanks to all of the naysayers and people who went out of their way to make it more difficult because without all of you it would just feel too easy!

Also to my three granddaughters, and everyone really: remember that no matter how bad things get you are not totally powerless, you always have choices. Situation and circumstance should never be allowed to oppress you and dictate who you are and what you are able to achieve in your lifetime. I want you to be happy and successful, to dream big and set higher goals for yourselves and to always realize the possibilities and potential for success. Always be hopeful and willing to do what is necessary to achieve whatever goals you set for yourselves.

I want to thank everyone for their support and for liking the dedicated Facebook pages Military & Veteran Tribute Row and Angela Madsen.

I would also like to express my thanks and appreciation to the following: Abilities Expo, Star Cushion, Swiftwick, Rock Tape, Shared Adventures, Perky Jerky, West Marine Long Beach store #00012, Team Kehei, Action Advocates, Paralympic Sport Clubs (Menlo Park, Sacremento, Santa Cruz and Silicone Valley), AccessSurf Hawaii, Equality TV, Orlando Rogers Foundation, Paralyzed Veterans of America--California Chapter, Disabled Dealer, Ranita Marcellino-Ruddle, Jo Ann Pine, Robert Soto, Grandee R, Elizabeth Oakley, Bobby Vittore, Jill Nakano, Kellie Wheeler, Tina Musto, Peggy Strople, Mary Morton, Delores Pereira, Margo Mott , Maureen Lyons, Ann Desalernos, Steve Baloff , Denise Louie, John Bull, Heidi Black, Scott Neuse, Josephine Alvarez, Steven Grove, Mark Stuessy, Courtney Casey, Bret Davies, Beverly Hopkins, MaryKatherine Kuner, Vivian Snyder, Sharon Kelleher, Mary Shuttleworth, Mr Warren Lund and Janice B. Edwards.

Many thanks as well for the safe return of Spirit of Orlando go out to H&M Landing, Catherine Miller, the crew of Old Glory and owner/operator Joe Philiips, Bobby Turner, Alex Centner, Richard McDonald, John Chustine, Tory Shane DeNuccio, Ray Kommel of Bakersfield, Lott Mason of San Clemente, Roy Rafferty of San Clemente, Ted Lizge of Laguna Nigel, Troy Regan of Dana Point, Brian Wilson of San Clemente, Juan Contreras of San Diego, Luis Godinaz of Chula Vista, Alfred Orozco of Southgate, John Nix of Garden Grove, Kathleen Barcelona of Garden Grove, James Willis of Capistrano Beach, Mike Hatzidakis of Colton, Trent J Levinson of Desert Hot Springs, Richard Allen of San Diego, Glen Lee Borgia of San Clemente, Gaetono Legrande of Dana Point, Todd Lake of San Juan, Daniel Craig of San Clemente, Chad Psilopoulos of Oceanside and Brian Muecke of Rim Forest.

Thank you all so much,
Angela & your Old Glory catch of the day, Spirit Of Orlando

There can be no really pervasive system of oppression without the consent of the oppressed.

Florence R. Kennedy

Nobody can make you feel inferior without
your consent.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Introduction

I did not choose this life; this life was chosen for me.

No one chooses to be disabled or to endure a life of pain and suffering. But like everyone else on the planet, disabled or not, we have a choice to either live and walk in truthor not. The famous jazz singer Pearl Bailey once said, You never find yourself until you face the truth. Ive had to face my share of truths more than once in my life.

As I collected my thoughts and memories to write this book, I wished that I had spent more time walking in the truth. No matter how hard or easy it was to pull those thoughts and feelings together some tragic, some victorious I had to stay on the path of truth. You ll find the pages in this book to be filled with honesty there is no sugar coating, no wistful wishing, just the honest truth.

For most of my life, I did not allow myself to believe that things really do happen for a reason. It is my experience that our lifes purpose may or may not be revealed at a later time. From time to time, I get bits and pieces that keep me on the correct path. Ive come to realize that I may never get to see the big picture or realize my true purpose.

I do know that whatever my purpose is in this life, my differently-abled, physically-challenged, broken-down, beaten-up body seems to be the vehicle required for me to achieve it. When I go to church and the healers come upon me, I politely ask them to go away. I think its funny that they dont seem to understand. Its not because I like pain and suffering, and its not because I dont have faith, but rather, its because I do have faith that I choose not to seek their services. Don t they get it? I am a spiritual person and I am this way for a reason. I am purpose-driven; I may suffer pain and not walk upright in this life, but when I go home, I will not suffer the walk through the gate. I can live with that. If I could go back and change things, I would not. It would be nice not to have to suffer so much pain but, hey, thats just the way it is.

I am blessed to have the abilities that I have and I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing with those abilities. In the beginning, I was angry but now I completely understand. Everything really does happen for a reason. I am doing exactly what it is that I am supposed to be doing and I have to be this way in order to do it!

In sports like diving, skating, and snow boarding, the higher degree of difficulty, the greater the score. And Ive scored pretty high. Living with a spinal cord injury could be considered a major difficulty, but the goals Ive set and reached are phenomenal. And Im proud and honored to say that achievements such as mine are shared by only a few and are revered and celebrated by even the most physically capable non-disabled athletes in the world.