History
Originally established in August 2015 as Peachtree City Rowing, Inc., Row Georgia is a not-for profit, tax exempt 501c3 organization founded to create a vibrant and competitive rowing community South of Atlanta. Row Georgia continues to promote the furtherance of rowing, offering instruction, improvement, and competition in the sport where members have advanced to US Rowing National Championships as well as into collegiate rowing. Rowing is offered year round.
The Peachtree City Rowing Club (now Row Georgia) was the brainchild of Peachtree City residents Megan and Quinton Gradek. The couple met at Boston College where Quinton was a member of the Men's Varsity Rowing team. He convinced Megan to join the women's team in her sophomore year. Both pursued competitive rowing after college in Washington, DC at Potomac Rowing Club, Quinton in Medical School and Megan while working for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Quinton's fellowship in Cardiology relocated them to Atlanta and the couple rowed out of Stone Mountain lake while coaching for Emory University. When employment brought the couple to Peachtree City in 2006, lakes Kedron and Peachtree were a major draw for relocation. In December 2012, when Lake McIntosh Park was completed, it was hard to deny that Lake McIntosh would be the most ideal lake to establish a rowing program. After all, the closest rowing club was a 60 minute drive without traffic to Roswell, GA. The Gradeks discussed this idea with each other and with Mark Tremblay, another former collegiate rower and local to the area, for about a year and a half before making contact with Steve Rapson, Fayette County Manager and the Fayette County Commissioners: Eric Maxwell, Steve Brown, Charles Oddo, Randy Ognio, and Charles Rousseau; Fayette County Parks and Recreation led by Anita Godbee and Fayette County Water Authority led by Lee Pope. The idea of establishing a rowing club focused on youth and adults was well received and supported by the county. Many meetings were held to discuss the logistics of providing space and permission to use the lake for recreational purposes in a way that would be the first for Fayette County. The County Commissioners voted yes to approve rowing on Lake McIntosh.
In August 2015, Peachtree City Rowing (PTCRC), a 501c(3) organization was incorporated and less than a year later PTCRC held its Grand Opening at Lake McIntosh on July 23, 2016. Since it's Grand Opening, Peachtree City Rowing has offered countless Learn To Row programs, created competitive middle and high school programs, and offered programs for adults and community partners. More than anything else, the Gradek's have been able to share their love of the sport with so many in the community. Over the past five years, graduates of Peachtree City Rowing have continued rowing at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Merchant Marine Academy, Case Western Reserve, Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Miami, Naval Academy, Stetson University and MIT. Not too shabby for a new club in Georgia!
Fayette County Rowing Appreciation Day Proclamation
