GELPADS

Pre:

For as long as I can remember, my head has always been somewhere else. It wasn't in books, the gutter, or even always in the boat. My head was and still is constantly in a creative space of it's own and Gelpads is one of the many products of that creativity in action. 

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How it all started:

In the Fall of 2011, I stepped into what would become a seven year rowing career. As a multi-sport athlete (competing in shot put & discus, competitive weightlifting, basketball, and flag football) immediately I recognized that there was something incredibly special about rowing. From the moment I learned how to feather, I knew that I was going to pursue this sport for as long as possible. However, I never imagined the ways in which this sport would take me, break me and make me into the young woman I am today.

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It was four years into my rowing career and my first year as a collegiate rower when I was informed that I needed to be rowing with a seat pad. With a few years of experience under my belt, I became somewhat shaken up by this news. To myself I thought:

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"How is it that I've rowed all these years without a seat pad?

What is the purpose of a seat pad? 

Why do I need one now ?

Am I a bad rower? "

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Little did I know that something as simple as a seat pad would impact not only my ability as a rower but my creative mind forever. Just a few days into using scrap pieces of yoga mats taped together as a makeshift seat pad, I noticed that my stroke became longer and that I was significantly more in sync with the rest of the crew!  Though excited to be improving, I found the appearance of the seat pad to be absolutely revolting. I just had to do something about it!

 

During this time, I was enrolled in a creative advertising course where our optional weekly homework was to do something creative and share it with the class. In April of 2015, I pulled out some paint that I had laying around in my dorm room and created a more aesthetically pleasing seat pad which we now know as a Gelpad. I saw this object as much more than a homework assignment and began experimenting with different materials and methods of creation.  Since April of 2015, Gelpads have helped to correct my posture/improve my stroke/reduce back pain and most notably given my creative mind limitless space to roam. 

 

I'm thrilled to begin seeing Gelpads in the hands and on the walls of rowers near and far. Though times are bound to change, it will forever be our mission to help rowers of all ages and abilities be the best they can in a way unique and special to them.

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