ANGELA MADSEN

Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.

Current Residence: Long Beach, Calif.

Club Affiliation: California Adaptive Rowing Program

Began Rowing: 1998

Date of Birth: 5/10/60 

Height: 6’1”

High School: Fairborn Baker High School

Occupation: Rowing Coach and Adaptive Rowing Program Director

Current Coach: Karen Lewis

International Results: Finished eighth in the pair’s class in the 2007 Atlantic Rowing Race...Finished fifth in the trunk-arms double sculls at the 2007 FISA World Championships...Won gold in the trunk-arms double sculls at the 2006 FISA World Championships...Won gold in the trunk-arms double sculls at the 2005 FISA World Championships...Won gold in the trunk-arms double sculls at the 2004 FISA World Championships...Won gold in the trunk-arms double sculls at the 2003 FISA World Championships...Won silver in the adaptive single sculls at the 2002 FISA World Championships.

National Results: Won the trunk-arms double sculls at the 2008 USRowing National Championships...Finished first in the adaptive double sculls at the 2001 Catalina Crossing.

Personal: Angela is a seven-time adaptive national team member and first-time Paralympian...An elite athlete prior to her injury, Angela has participated in numerous adaptive sports  and is founder of the California Adaptive Rowing Program...Angela’s other sports include wheelchair basketball, surfing and ocean rowing. Angela surfed in the Women’s World Championships of Surfing in Biarritz, France, in 2006 & 2007 and can be spotted at her local beach breaks regularly doing some pretty styl’n surfing...In February of 2003, the Amateur Athletic Foundation named Angela as a recipient of the Women Who Inspire Us Award; in September of 2003, she received the Leo Reilly, Jr. Award for outstanding spirit and determination...She is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a life member of both the Disabled American Veterans and the Paralyzed Veterans of America...In February of 2008, Angela rowed her way into the history books becoming the first parapeligic and woman with a disability to ever cross an ocean by oar...She and French rowing partner, Franck Festor, completed the 2,550 nautical mile journey in 66 days, 23 hours and 24 minutes...To get the complete story, links, pics, blogs and video, go to Web site www.rowoflife.net.

(updated 7/3/2008)