By Peter Gambaccini
Photos by Victah Sailer
Shannon Rowbury was the bronze medalist in the 1500 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, having earlier won the 1500 at the 2009 USATF Championships. She completed her 2009 competitive calendar with a victory at the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile in New York in 4:23.3. Her personal bests on the track are 2:00.94 for the 800, 4:00.33 in the 1500, 4:20.34 for the mile, and 15:12.95 for 5000 meters. Rowbury was seventh at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 1500; it was the highest Olympic finish ever by an American woman at that distance. She won the 3000 at the 2008 USA Indoor Championships in 8:55.19. At the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships, competing for Duke, she won the mile and placed second in the 3000. Originally from San Francisco, Rowbury was a national scholastic champion in the 800. She is now coached by John Cook. This Chat was a bit affected by time constraints and telecommunications problems, but we wanted to be quick to get to Rowbury to talk about the new Bay Area Track Club, and she graciously obliged. We'll catch up with her again when her 2010 racing gets underway. The Bay Area Track Club's website is http://bayareatrackclub.com/ ... Magdalena Lewy Boulet's statement of the club's purpose is Here Others involved in the BATC (besides Rowbury and Lewy Boulet) include Blake Russell, Bolota Asmerom, David Torrence, Jon Rankin, Alysia Johnson, and Peter Gilmore and coaches John Cook, Jack Daniels, Al Berrin, Bob Sevene, and Tony Kauke.
What was the inspiration for forming the Bay Area Track Club, and who got it going? What were some of the perceived needs that it's going to satisfy?
Shannon Rowbury: The idea for the club started six months ago. David Torrence ( the 2009 USA Indoor 3000-meter champ who ran at the University of California) and I were at an athletic convention helping Alter-G (treadmill) promote the product. We were doubt demoing (demonstrating). I was talking about frustrated I was because I had these resources but I had no people to do my workouts with and I was feeling like I was a team of one.He needed support financially. We got to talking about how great the Bay Area was - how there are all these people, all these resources, but none of it was really connected or tapped into. So he approached Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and she's the one who really took with under her wing and got it started and off the ground. David and I went over to Europe to compete and weren't really able to do much as far as structurally setting up the Bay Area Track Club. And Magda worked with some local people to get a proposal written up that they submitted to USA Track & Field. It's really been within the last month or two that things have come together. we're waiting for recognition from USA Track & Field and hoping to get some financial support. We have nonprofit status. We're getting all of our ducks in a row. It's been great. There are so many athletes that have shown interest that are in the area and want to be a part of it.
