Our Team
Karen Calara MSPT, CSCS - Owner, Team Physical Therapist, and Coach
With over 20 years of experience, Karen Calara, MSPT, CSCS, optimizes performance on a person by person, body by body, basis. Combining specialties in sports biomechanics, manual therapy, functional exercise, and strength training and conditioning, Karen creates comprehensive programs tailored to the individual athlete to create balance in the body so the athlete can perform efficiently and powerfully. She is currently collaborating with multiple crew coaches developing comprehensive cross training programs for juniors, masters, and elite level rowers.
I am a strength, conditioning, and breath-work coach based in Philadelphia, PA with almost a decade of experience. My clients include youth and collegiate athletes as well as the general population. My emphasis is on individuals recovering from musculoskeletal injuries or who are suffering from respiratory issues. My training approach looks at the body as a complete system; an issue in one area will have effects up and downstream. so, my goal is to address the root cause of a compensatory pattern to increase an individuals durability and longevity.
I have worked with some of the top Squash players in the country, professional, high school and college lacrosse players, collegiate and pro basketball players, and collegiate, high school, and masters rowers.
I am training full time at Penn AC in Philadelphia competing for a spot on the USRowing National Team for the 2021 World Championships. I competed in the 2019 Pan American Games for the United States in the Mens 4- and the Men's 8+. I have won bronze and gold medals in the Championship Men's 2x at the Head of the Charles in 2018 and 2019.
My degrees and certifications include a Masters in Kinesiology with a focus on sleep and athletic performance, I have a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) Certification from NSCA, and am a member of the Buteyko Professionals International.
Aidan began rowing in 2008 with the University of Minnesota. While at the University of Minnesota Aidan was a member of the Men's Club Rowing Team and won the Varsity 4+ at the ACRA National Championships his senior year. After graduating he moved to Seattle, WA where he first started coaching Middle School athletes with Seattle Rowing Center. Aidan began writing custom training programs for high school, college, and masters athletes after getting his certification as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the NSCA. Since then he has worked with high school, collegiate, and masters athletes. He currently coaches the Novice Boys at PNRA Mercer and works with Aligned and Balanced Rowing as the primary architect of our training programs.
Derek de Leuw - Coach
Derek first rowed as a junior at Sammamish Rowing Association in Redmond, WA. After rowing for a year at the University of Washington, Derek started his coaching career working with both Masters and high school athletes back at SRA. From there, Derek moved to the Assistant Coach position at Seattle Rowing Center, until moving with the organization to Santa Barbara County in California to help start up the new Mission Rowing Systems team on Lake Cachuma. Derek is currently both the Head Masters Coach and Junior Novice Coach for MRS. Having coached numerous boats to regional championships, and national showing over the years, Derek has developed a very keen technical eye for all boats from the 1x, to the 8+. Derek also specializes in helping athletes to develop their "mental toughness" in order to help tackle and overcome sticking points and plateaus.
Nicholas Goode, MS Exercise Physiology and Performance, USRowing Level 3 High Performance Coach
Nick is currently in his first year at East Tennessee State University as a PhD student in the Sport Physiology and Performance. He acquired his Master's in exercise physiology from Barry University in Miami, FL. While there he helped lead the rowing team to 3 NCAA consecutive championship appearances, including a 2nd place team finish. After learning to row at Ohio University he brings over 15 years of competition and coaching experience at all levels. After retiring from rowing in 2018, culminating in 2016 Olympic Rowing trials, 2017 English Royal Henley regatta, and 2017 Coastal Rowing World Championships appearances including multiple US National and Canadian Henley titles along the way. Since then he has been coaching rowing, cycling, and endurance athletes, exclusively, while competing as a Category 3 USA Cycling athlete. Currently, he is also an assistant coach to the ETSU Women's Triathlon Team that finished 5th at the NCAA championships in 2021.
His research interests are aerobic and endurance performance with an emphasis around lactate threshold. He enjoys working with both athletes and coaches to improve the athlete experience and the profession of coaching at all levels of sport. And believes in an objective and goal driven approach to coaching both sport practitioners and athletes in their pursuits.
James Nelson - Administration and Support Specialist
James is a two time Canadian Henley winner, a two time USRowing National Team member, and a 2024 Olympic hopeful. James has also coached for Seattle Rowing Center and Seattle Preparatory School coaching multiple boats to medaling finishes in both Novice and Varsity events at the Northwest Junior Regional Championships.