John Strotbeck III (born June 19, 1957) is an American rower, who rowed in the 1984 and 1988
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
, and was elected the Olympic team captain in the latter. His company, Boathouse Sports, is a manufacturer of custom team athletic apparel made in the United States. Strotbeck currently lives in
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 73rd-most populous county in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,55 ...
with his wife Stephanie and son Max.
Biography
Early life
Strotbeck was born in 1957 in
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr, pronounced ,
from Welsh for big hill, is a census-designated place (CDP) located across three townships: Radnor Township and Haverford Township in Delaware County, and Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It i ...
. Growing up on the sandy beaches of the South Jersey Shore certainly had an effect on a young John Strotbeck. Like many who grew up in
Margate, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Margate City's population was 5,317, a reduction of 1,037 over the previous decade.[Marietta College
Marietta College (MC) is a private liberal arts college in Marietta, Ohio. It offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across the arts, sciences, and engineering, as well as Physician Assistant, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, an ...]
's rowing team his freshman year. His drive kept him at the top throughout college.
Though small for a world-class rower – standing 6'2" and weighing 180 pounds – Strotbeck cycled through the power seats of the boat. His advantage over the competition was his tremendous efficiency and ability to move a boat fast.
Athletic career
After taking a brief hiatus, Strotbeck returned to the world of competitive rowing after moving to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
in 1981. Philadelphia is a haven for rowers as the city offered access to world-class coaches, rowing equipment, and the
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...
, which houses one of the largest regattas in the country and historic
Boathouse Row
Boathouse Row is a historic site located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the east bank of the Schuylkill River just north of the Fairmount Water Works and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It consists of a row of 15 boathouses housing social and row ...
.
After training intensely throughout the winter of 1983, Strotbeck made the 1983 Pan Am team rowing for the
Vesper Boat Club
The Vesper Boat Club is an amateur rowing (sport), rowing club located at #10 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1865 as the Washington Barge Club, the Club changed its name to Vesper Boat Club ...
. Assuming he would not make it through the first seat race, Pan Am Coach John Bannan consented to allow Strotbeck to try out. After winning the first seat race, and many more after, Bannan relented on his initial position and gave Strotbeck a seat in the Pan Am boat. Strotbeck's crew placed second in the
1983 Pan American Games
The 1983 Pan American Games were held in Caracas, Venezuela from August 14 to August 29, 1983. The games were the first major international competition to include relatively accurate steroid testing.Taylor, William N., ''Anabolic Steroids and the ...
earning the team a silver medal.
Prior to the 1984 Olympic games, the US Rowing team's coaching philosophy had been focused on recruiting from traditionally established schools for the Olympic and World Games. There was initially no interest in finding a spot on the team for Strotbeck who had few competitive accolades and hailed from
Marietta College
Marietta College (MC) is a private liberal arts college in Marietta, Ohio. It offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across the arts, sciences, and engineering, as well as Physician Assistant, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, an ...
. After preliminary testing in Princeton, Strotbeck was told he would not make the 1984 Olympic team. However, US Rowing, the sports governing body, looked outside the United States for the coach of Team 1984, in order to achieve better performance. Kris Korzenowski, a Polish expatriate coaching the Italian team, was hired as the 1984 Olympic Rowing Team's head coach. Because Korzenowski was not predisposed to recruiting from the predominant American rowing schools, Strotbeck found himself in the crew of the 1984 US Olympic Rowing team. Strotbeck competed over the next six years for the US National team at the 1988 Olympics, World Championships, Pan Ams and numerous European regattas.
Strotbeck's boat placed sixth in 1984 in the
coxless pair
A coxless pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars.
The crew consists of a pair of rowers, each having one oar, one on the stroke side (rower's right h ...
, where he partnered with
Dave De Ruff.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strotbeck, John
Marietta College alumni
Olympic rowers for the United States
Rowers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Rowers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Living people
American male rowers
1957 births
Pan American Games medalists in rowing
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States
World Rowing Championships medalists for the United States
Rowers at the 1983 Pan American Games
Rowers at the 1987 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games