Board Members
Cofounder and Executive Director
Marilyn Koblan
Marilyn Koblan, a cofounder of the Para Rowing Foundation, brings her deep skill set as a nurse, volunteer, and passion for helping others to her work for PRF. Having taken up rowing following a move to Boston, she naturally began volunteering and eventually working for a local boathouse as the para and military coordinator, applying her nursing background to Intakes for para rowers along with other work. The insights gained from this experience and her decades of commitment to nonprofit work were pivotal to her decision to start PRF.
A driving factor behind the creation of PRF Marilyn discovered, "as a new-to-the-sport Masters Rower I was able to walk into a boathouse and someone handed me an oar - it was that simple. Ultimately, that is what PRF wants for all individuals with impairments.”
Wanting to apply these experiences to athletes with disability in rowing, Marilyn asked a simple question - what do para athletes need to freely be a part of the rowing community and achieve their fullest potential? The answer was simple: a para athlete needs exactly what any athlete needs: Opportunities, Accessibility, and Expertise.
Creating a community of para rowers who can share in the joy of the sport, and each other, is the spirit of PRF. Adding practical resources and support for para rowers became the work of PRF.
Asking para athletes what they need informed Marilyn in developing accessibility to individualized intakes, intensive training opportunities, para trained coaching, an adaptive equipment loan program, sports psychology sessions, new equipment, and athlete grants.
Para Rowing Foundation is a passion project for Marilyn. She donates her time and finances to the cause.
Cofounder and Board Member
Abby Gregory
As a cofounder and board member of Para Rowing Foundation, Abby brings over 20 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industries to PRF’s athlete-centered philosophy.
Abby is a graduate of the Johnson & Wales University School of Hospitality and has worked in some of the top restaurants and wineries in the United States and Italy. Her work for the historic golf club, The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, led to her planning high-end private events, and executing food and beverage operations for PGA events. Abby honed her national and international logistics skills while working as a personal and executive assistant alongside Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School. She has a keen interest in nutrition and how nutrition affects athlete performance and mindset and is currently an estate manager.
Public service has always been part of Abby’s professional life. In the early part of her career, she volunteered for Community Servings, a nonprofit food program providing services to families living with critical illness. She volunteers her time as a restaurant recruiter for The Maine Course, a food event that raises funds to send underserved children to the Agassiz Village Summer Camp.
Through her work at restaurants, Abby was introduced to Marilyn Koblan in Parma, Italy. She was immediately interested in Marilyn’s work with the military and para rowing teams. The two began to explore a friendship and the great things that could happen if their talents merged to form a nonprofit focused on para rowers and their development as athletes emerged.
Before the launch of Para Rowing Foundation, Abby enrolled at the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, earning her certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership.
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Board Chair
Steven Dowd
Steven found his way to rowing during the pandemic in 2020. He quickly saw the opportunity to use indoor rowing as a way to bring people of all abilities around the world together and founded an international charity event, EnduRow Challenge, the world’s biggest fully inclusive indoor rowing event for charity. Inclusion is a passion of Steven’s as he has experience on the Global DEI strategy Advisory Board for the software company Sage, is an ambassador for Wings for Life, and lives with a high-level spinal cord injury following a cycling accident.
Inclusive rowing is PRF’s passion so a natural collaboration working towards inclusive rowing opportunities began to develop. In 2023, Steven accepted a position on the board and has continued to bring his enthusiasm, optimism, and connectivity to the PRF community
Board Member
Jovia Manzie
After rowing in college, Jovia wanted to continue participating in the world of rowing/sport which eventually led her to Boston where she was introduced to the world of Para Rowing by none other than Marilyn Koblan. In 2018, when she heard that Marilyn and Abby Gregory were moving forward with creating a nonprofit to benefit para rowers, Jovia jumped at the chance to volunteer. The new organization's meaningful work was to be informed by the athletes and their needs. After two years of volunteer work in a number of different capacities, she proudly accepted a position on the Board of Directors. She looks forward to many more years of exciting new opportunities in helping athletes have the best rowing experience possible.
PRF Chief Communications Officer & Board Member
Asmita Kapadia
Asmita Kapadia, communications specialist, has been appointed as Chief Communications Officer and will serve on the PRF Board with immediate effect. She has been supporting PRF since July 2023, raising its profile and visibility with a core mission to enable athletes with impairments globally to fulfil their true potential.
Asmita brings more than 25 years communications experience within global businesses, including charitable initiatives. In 2017, she was one of a team of ten that rowed 88 nautical miles across the Irish Sea from Fishguard to Rosslare to raise much needed funds for charity. Previously Head of Business Communications at the BNY Mellon Investment Management (assets under management of US$1 trillion) for nearly eight years, having held senior positions at Hermes Fund Managers, M&G Investments and Colonial First State Investments.
Having mentored individuals in the investment industry, she is an advocate for human, social and reputational capital. Listed in PRWeek PowerBook 2019 and winner of the ‘Best In-house Team of the Year’ at the PRCA City and Financial Awards 2019.
“Since PRF's inception in 2018, it has aided more than 200 para rowers globally through its advocacy work with donors, NGBs, corporates. While helping PRF over the past year, I have seen first hand its continued positive impact supporting para rowers world-wide. I am thrilled to be appointed as Chief Communications Officer, joining a small central team to build on its achievements. This is an exciting time to be part of PRF's Board to help with the next phase of its growth.”
PRF Board Member
Kathryn Ross
Kathryn’s stellar rowing career spans nearly two decades. She is a four-time world champion who has participated at four Paralympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021) since rowing was introduced in 2008 and won the first medal for her nation, taking home a silver medal in Beijing in 2008. Since then, she has won multiple world championship medals, including three consecutive gold medals in the PR2 category of mixed double sculls, a gold medal and world record in the singles sculls. Kathryn currently holds multiple world and national records on and off the water.
Outside of rowing, Kathryn is a registered nurse, working in multiple sectors of emergency, metal health and suicide prevention. She is a passionate advocate for athlete wellbeing, serving on Rowing Australia’s Athlete Commission and Paralympics Australia’s broader community engagement sub-committee. Currently, she is a prominent member of the Disability Sports Australia Advisory Committee and actively supports the sub-committees for Boccia Australia.
“I am deeply honored to join PRF’s Board - my passion for athlete development and community engagement fundamentally align with the foundation’s strategic plan. I wholeheartedly believe in its vision to expand access to para-rowing and create a more inclusive environment for athletes of all abilities. By leveraging my experience, I am committed to enhancing outreach initiatives which raise awareness about para-rowing opportunities. Additionally, I will advocate for resources and support that can benefit athletes. Together, we can drive meaningful change and empower more individuals to experience the transformative power of para-rowing for decades to come.”