S5E10 - Rethinking Flying Solo: Bill Byrd Has a Change of Heart

This is the fifth and final episode in a series on heart attacks and emergency preparedness. In this series you’ll hear first hand accounts from rowers who survived heart attacks, teammates and coaches who witnessed these events, and even from widows who reflect on warning signs and “what ifs.”

On this episode:
Bill Byrd has been rowing for nearly six decades and was a founding member of Willamette Rowing Club in Portland Oregon. One morning in 2018, he suffered a heart attack while training in his single. This is a story about living well, being prepared, the power of having all hands on deck, and survival.

We couldn’t tell Bill’s story without his ex-wife and longtime rowing partner, Jann Byrd, who was also on the water that morning and played a pivotal role in saving his life. 

Stay tuned at the end for safety tips from US Rowing Director of Safeguarding Tom Rooks and be sure to share the whole series with your boathouse safety committee and coaches.

Other episodes in this series:
Perspective: One Coach’s Lifesaving Efforts

Giving and Getting Support: Burnham Boat Slings’ Peter Kermond

Sue and John Hooten’s Mutual Admiration Society

For One Heart Attack Survivor, the Beat Goes On

 

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Episode lead-in
02:55 - Rowing week on a scale of 1-10
04:13 - Hot Seat Q&A
06:31 - Rowing on the Willamette
07:45 - Bill wanted to play football at UW but instead got recruited to row
11:32 - Jann first got in the coxswain seat for mens boats at the Naval Academy
14:25 - Bill’s heart attack story, from slipping into the water, to CPR and EMS response
22:48 - Ripple effects on the club and teammates
25:30 - The diagnosis, rehab, recovery, and return to racing
30:10 - Safety precautions: logbook, PFD, cell phone, heart rate monitor
33:51 - What a life of rowing has given Bill and Jann
36:06 - The perfect stroke
38:47 - 2024 season
40:30 - How racing changes as you age up through the categories
42:50 - Top Tips from Tom Rooks, USRowing Director of Safeguarding
47:30 - SSN events and initiatives

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To see photos of Bill and Jann, and get links to the people, clubs, events, and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

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This episode was made possible in part by Live2Row Studios, Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

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Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.