Kerry Simmonds was named as a women’s rowing assistant coach at Oregon State on August 28, 2017.
Simmonds is charged with the development of walk-ons after winning a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games, and a highly successful collegiate and USA Rowing career.
“Kerry will be heading up the walk-on program in the fall, and responsible for integration of walk-ons into elite athletes,” head coach Kate Maxim said at the time of her hiring. “The team will find her very relatable. She is very smart and at the same time has a great sense of humor, and as we navigate through a very challenging project she has the personality combined with experience to help move us through those pockets of difficulty.”
In her first year at Oregon State, Simmonds helped directed the Beavers’ Varsity 4+ crew, which consisted mostly of novices, to a sixth place finish at Pac-12 Championships. Her development of several newcomers to sport contributing in the Beavers Second Varsity 8 as well as the V4+.
A career that started as a walk-on at the University of Washington, Simmonds transformed into a decorated rowing athlete with it all culminating in an Olympic gold medal for team USA in the women’s eight.
“I think Kerry’s story and experience of walking on four years at a very strong national power house, and then going on to the national team and eventually Olympic champion, that story to me is very inspiring, and her education comes from her experience” Maxim said.
“She is going to be able to provide an inside perspective, and step-by-step process to bring someone who has never seen an oar before, to at the very least be a competitive boat mover at the Pac-12 level.”
Simmonds holds a U23 World Championship (2010), two World Rowing Championships (2013, 2015), and a world record in the women’s eight.
“Being a student-athlete helped me learn the importance of hard work and patience, qualities I tried to maintain when I joined the US Women’s Training Center,” Simmonds said. “Rowing with the US team taught me how to be mentally tough, how to be a better teammate, and how to work very, very hard. From my experience, I also learned how to perform under pressure and stay internally focused, traits I hope to pass along to the athletes I work with.
Prior to joining the Oregon State program, Simmonds spent eight months as the head varsity juniors coach at ZLAC Rowing Club in San Diego, Calif., the oldest all-women’s club in the world. Simmonds had previously worked with the Princeton National Rowing Association as assistant varsity juniors coach.
“I have been fortunate to work alongside other knowledgeable and good-natured coaches at these programs,” Simmonds said. “In my experience, working with junior rowers has been very rewarding, as the learning curve is fairly steep and they are eager to learn.”
Simmonds has been actively involved as an athlete mentor for Classroom Connections since 2015. Classroom Connections is a non-profit program that pairs elite athletes with public school classrooms for low socioeconomic areas across the nation for a school year.
A 2011 graduate from Washington, Simmonds advanced from walk-on to varsity team captain in her senior season, helping the Huskies advance to four NCAA championships. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, physiology.
