Para rowers prepare to hit waters in inaugural year at LaSalle Rowing Club

Para rowers have been working hard inside the LaSalle Rowing Club with the goal of soon hitting the water outside — some for the first time ever.

Stacey Trottier-Mousseau is a para rowing coach at the club who has multiple sclerosis. She was the first ever para rower at the LaSalle Rowing Club. 

"Anybody can row," she said.

Para rowers began training in the clubhouse in December as the rowing club launched its first ever dedicated para rowing program. Trottier-Mousseau said there are many people with diminished abilities who don't know there is a sport they can do.

"A lot of people were surprised to find out that they could be active in sport when they thought that that was either a thing of the past or something that wasn't going to be available to them at all," she said. 

"Group sports were never for me," said Kathy Dresser, who also has multiple sclerosis.

"I've had hearing loss since I was about eight-years-old and that sort of eliminated anything that was on the court or on the water or on the road. It's hard to communicate when you're hard of hearing."

Dresser said she got the idea to row when she heard Trottier-Mousseau speak.

"I've progressed so much," she said.

She's been rowing indoors since December now she's excited to get out on the water.

"It kind of will be the butterflies in my stomach and that feeling of moving across the water," said Dresser. 

The plan is for the Para Rowers to hit the water come May.

Doug Diet, president and coach of the LaSalle Rowing Club, said Dresser has also taught her tutors a lot since joining the club. 

"I can't wait for her to actually get in the water, and she's also given us some teaching as well ... as coaches we're starting to pick up on sign language," said Diet. 

"I