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Meet Our Staff
Rachel Wong
Executive Director
Rachel attended Seattle University, where she was a walk-on with the Division I Women’s Rowing team. After graduating in 2016, Rachel began her career in coaching at Green Lake Crew, where she taught Adult Learn to Row classes and served as the Assistant Novice Girls Coach during the 2016-2017 season. She then went on to lead the Seattle Preparatory Novice Boys team, coaching the team to the program’s first Regional Youth Championship title in the Mens Novice 2x event. In 2018, Rachel played a key role in founding the Seattle Scullers team, a small boats program focused on skill development and long term success for Middle School, High School, and Elite level athletes. For 3 years, she acted as their Long Term Athlete Coordinator and Assistant Coach, managing recruitment efforts, community outreach, logistics, communications, and everything in between. She began working at RRC in the summer of 2021 at a pivotal time in the organization's growth.
When she is not working at RRC, Rachel can be found rowing with the Competitive team at Lake Washington Rowing Club. She also enjoys running, snowboarding, beach combing on the local islands, and spending time with her husband and their dog, Murray.
Teri Thomson Randall
Intermediate & Advanced Masters Coach
Teri Thomson Randall started rowing on Lake Casitas in Ventura, California, and continued to learn to row with Green Lake Adult Crew in Seattle. It took just one regatta to hook her completely.
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She loves the close-knit community of rowing as well as the mental and intellectual aspects of the sport, which drew her to coaching. After receiving her Level 2 Coached Certification from USRowing in 2018, she taught Learn to Row and Novice rowing at Lake Washington Rowing Club in Seattle. She began coaching masters at the Renton Rowing Center in the spring of 2022, and continues to cox for the Martha's Moms rowing team.
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Teri works full-time at the University of Washington, and is earning a Master of Education in Higher Ed Administration from Central Washington University.
Cecilia Krause
Head Coach & Programs Director
Cecilia started her rowing career as a coxswain for Glastonbury High School in 2013, and fell even more in love with the sport during her time at Seattle Pacific University. Her favorite memories of rowing in college are finishing first at both WIRA Championships and Opening Day regatta in back to back weekends in 2019. After college, she joined the Lake Washington Rowing Club's competitive team, where she is currently serving as one of the team captains. She hopped in the coaches' launch for the first time in March of 2022 as an Assistant Coach for the NSD High School programs. She worked as the Boathouse and Equipment Manager at the Kenmore Community Boathouse from March 2023 - August 2024, and spent the summer of 2024 as Kenmore Community Rowing Club's youth programming manager, developing and overseeing the youth summer rowing camps.
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She has a passion for creating a safe and inclusive environment for young people to try out the sport she fell in love with. When she's not coaching, fixing a boat, or coxing, Cecilia can be found adding to her ever growing collection of houseplants and dad jokes.
Hjalmar de Vries
Youth Assistant Coach
Hjalmar de Vries rowed as a lightweight at D.S.R.V. Laga in the Netherlands. Following his competitive rowing career, he spent two years coaching, where he dedicated himself to developing the skills and techniques of novice rowers. His passion for rowing and coaching has been a significant part of his journey.
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Professionally, Hjalmar is an aerospace engineer. Outside of his professional and rowing life, Hjalmar is an avid cyclist and enjoys hiking with his wife. Together, they also love traveling, exploring new places, and embracing the sense of adventure that comes with it.
Sophie Sandahl
Middle School Coach
Sophie was a student at Seattle Pacific University where she was a walk-on with the Division II rowing program after she transferred. While at SPU she became hooked on the sport and the community that the team culture there created. Between the lifelong friends and connections she made, to the experience of learning both the sport and competing on a larger stage at regattas. She experienced multiple regatta appearances from WIRA’s and GNACs to recently the NCAA’s. She accredits a lot of who she is today from the formative experience that was rowing through SPU the past 3 years due to the coaches, teammates, and the sport.
Sophie loves the community that rowing creates, connecting shell-houses and regions far and wide. It’s a sport that welcomes in those that put in the work, and is one that is unique to itself. The team culture as well is something she finds exciting, to see athletes grow into their own and experiencing being a part of something both on a small personal scale and a larger team scale.
When she’s not in the boathouse at RRC, Sophie works at a bakery in Seattle. She also enjoying sailing, running, hiking the cascades, and spending time with her friends.
Kent McCleary
Volunteer Masters Sculling Coach
Kent McCleary rowed for Washington State Men's Crew, All-PAC-10 and raced in Istanbul, Turkey. Kent rowed and taught sculling at Carillon Point [Kirkland] Rowing Club, the Wenatchee Row and Paddle Club and the Twin Falls [Idaho] Solo Bocce Ball, Tiddlywinks and Sculling Club. He returned to sculling on Lake Washington in 2002 and in 2006 helped found Renton Rowing and to start Erg Ed. Kent coaches masters scullers and teaches safety at RRC. Kent is also the Chair of RRC's Board of Directors and leads the Safety Committee. He teaches English as a Second Language at Lindbergh High School in Renton and acts as the staff sponsor of the Lindbergh High School Rowing Club.