Ernestine Bayer

[old] denisrricard · Post by **[old] denisrricard** » August 16th, 2004, 9:28 pm

In a booklet about Concept2 my wife and I were impressed by John Hodgson (89 y.o. 9:22) and Ernestine Bayer (90 y.o. 12:07). There is this quote from Ernestine: " ... I've been rowing since 1928. I love it. I can't understand why everybody doesn't do it." This has us wondering how it was to be a woman rowing in 1928 (I guess she was about 14 y.o. at the time she started). Was it usual to have women in rowing teams at that time, or is she special? In any case we're interested in hearing about her if anyone has information to share. Perhaps she reads this forum? D.

[old] nkoffler · Post by **[old] nkoffler** » August 17th, 2004, 11:03 am

Yes, there is much available about her. She's simply terrific!!! There is a rowing history site dedicated to her: <a href='http://www.rowinghistory.net/bayer.htm' target='_blank'>Rowing History - Bayer</a> and the following is pasted from the old forum. I don't know her current status. ______________________________________________________________ Because so MANY of you have asked about Ernestine Bayer, one of the most beloved women in rowing, we asked her daughter to please let us know how her Mom is doing, she wrote: Ernie suffered a stroke on March 3rd, 2003. It impacted the right side of her body -- face, arm, leg - and speech. Her speech after the stroke consisted of "Tina, ta da, ta da, ta da, ta da, OK ?" (that is an actual transcription). After a week in the hospital, Ernie was released to go to an acute rehab center. On arrival, seeing the nurse/patient ratio, daughter Tina turned the wheelchair around and left - realized that in order to keep someone as active as Ernie 'safe' they would have either sedated or restrained her. NOT !! Ernie came straight home from the hospital (thank goodness for a one floor house design with a handicap accessible shower). By the next week, the local Visiting Nurses were here in force giving speech, occupational and speech therapy. In the second week of rehab, Ernie discarded the walker, much to the VN's chagrin. The VN's then recommended Outpatient Rehab in a nearby stroke rehab center. Daily for a month daughter Tina dropped her off at 8 AM and picked her up at 12 noon. Things did not go smoothly. Alas the therapists there looked at Ernie as a 94 year old woman, not as an athelete. They pigeonholed her recovery, treating her like she was 94 years old and tried to go by the book treating her aphasia and apraxia. They were amazed at her strength and couldn't believe she was capable of walking 30 minutes on a treadmill. When I asked about a rowing ergometer, they blinked and stared ignorantly. As soon as the weather started to warm, Ernie requested her Alden Ocean Shell be made ready for the water. On May 31st I took it down to the Swampscot Sculler boathouse here in Stratham. I signed the log book, saying "HI" to everyone. Two hours later, Dr. Mary Beth Weathersby, an emergency room physican (and Alden member and excellent single sculler) called, and asked if Ernie would like her for a rowing partner. (Since then, Ernie has averaged almost 2 rows a week - now going 3 miles in the Alden Double with Mary Beth. Other days she uses the erg). At the therapy center, when I told them she was rowing, I received an AGHAST look and the question -- "Does her Doctor approve of this ?" Her doctor most CERTAINLY does. What a marvelous patterning exercise for a brain injury victim. The first time Mary Beth and I took her down to the water for a row, we weren't sure she remembered how to row. We took the Alden oar master and placed it on the dock (like a rowing machine), tried to get her to sit on it. Our goal was to make sure she remembered how to feather an oar. She looked at us like we were nuts -- gestured emphatically that the oar master should be in BOAT not sitting on the DOCK. Finally she reluctantly sat on it, arguing the whole time. She naturally flipped her PORT oar - and I said to Mary Beth -- "Let's go !!". And into the boat. Now she is out on the water. New problem. Ernie does not seem to understand commands. Mary Beth tried, "OK Ernie let's go", "Row, Ernie". Finally I called from the dock "READY ALL - ROW" -- and off they went. Mary Beth said "How do I stop her ?" -- I replied "Way ENOUGH !!" I noticed around the end of June that her speech rehab seemed stalled. The therapy center told me that because Ernie had come directly to them instead of spending 3 months in an in-patient facility, her brain had not healed enough to improve -- and that maybe that was all the improvement we would see. I then hired a private in-home speech therapist. Both of us discovered that Ernie was not getting the speech therapy we thought she was. That rehab center saw dust as we exited. Ernie moved to a different local out patient area rehab and is now finished with Physical Therapy (signs of the stroke on her right side require careful scrutiny before you may notice a little difference), Occupational Therapy increased her hand-eye coordination to almost 2x the speed she had on arrival - that too is done. From when she started rowing just after Memorial Day to now the recovery proceeded rapidly for about 2 months. Only as we reached month 7 post stroke have things started to slow down again. I have hunted the internet for information and new ways of treating stroke patients. The latest thing the therapist is doing, at my suggestion, is to play Mozart's Violin Concertos during her speech therapy sessions. And there is an improvement. The problem is she HATES classical music. (There is research with learning that shows playing Mozart while learning a task increases learning and prolongs retention.) Great rowing company has visited over the summer -- Ernie has partnered with Harriet Cuyler and Gail Ricketson Helfer in tours of our river. Each time there is a HUGE grin when she returns from the row. Well that's it from Stratham NH. I am filling out Ernie's entry for the Head of the Charles in a double. She has a primary and a secondary doubles partner. For the past 3 years Abby Peck and she have partnered; this year if Abby can't make it due to family illness, Ernie has a backup partner of Gail Ricketson Helfer (whom Ernie taught how to row back in 1974 !!). Her memory is completely back but the speech is still impacted. She takes phone calls and enjoys hearing from people either by phone (603) 778-9458 or by card PO Box 364, Stratham, NH 03885. Daughter Ernie Bayer (alias Baby Bear).

[old] denisrricard · Post by **[old] denisrricard** » August 17th, 2004, 8:44 pm

Woah! Hey thanks, very interesting stuff. What a great lady! Thanks, Denis and Dominique

[old] Guido B · Post by **[old] Guido B** » August 25th, 2004, 9:47 am

Thanks for the wonderful story. A real encouragment to keep on rowing

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Ernestine Bayer

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