Former Olympian Rigsby named rowing assistant
July 15, 2008 | Women's Rowing
Wisconsin women's rowing head coach Bebe Bryans has announced the hiring of two-time Olympic medalist Karen Rigsby as the program's new varsity assistant coach.
'Karen is somebody that I've had my eye on for a while,' said Bryans. 'Her energy, her depth of experience, both on the water and as a teacher, is really going to add a dimension to the team that we hope will take us to the next level. '
Formerly known as Karen Kraft, Rigsby has been a Madison resident since 2001. A certified Bikram Yoga instructor, the California native has previously worked with the UW rowing team, as well as the Badger football program, in yoga training.
Rigsby joins the Wisconsin staff with over 12 years of rowing experience, including a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics and a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics in the pair. She earned USRowing's Female Athlete of the Year after both medals and was therefore nominated for the United States Olympic Committee's Sportswoman of the Year award in 1996 and 2000.
'I am super excited to coach under Bebe and I think the women are just at the verge of getting to the next level,' said Rigsby. 'They've been working at it and climbing, and I think in the next year or two a national championship is in their grasp. I really believe that. With all the tools they have and their work ethic, it is within their grasp this year. Other than making the Olympic team, this is the next biggest step for me as far as excitement in rowing. I would rank it right up there. '
In addition to her Olympic experience, Rigsby rowed with her pair partner, Missy Ryan, to gold medals at various international and national events, including the 1996 and 1999 Lucerne, Switzerland World Cups, the 1995 Duisburg, Germany World Cup and the 1996 and 1999 U.S. national championships. The duo won a silver medal at the 1995 World Championships in Finland.
She worked as a summer camp rowing coach from 2001-04 in Madison with the UW-Madison and Camp Randall Rowing Camps, sending boats on to 12 gold medals at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. She also coached in the summer of 2007 at the Princeton University Elite Rowing Camp
Rigsby lives in Madison, with her husband, Calvin. She is a 1991 graduate of Cal Poly State-San Luis Obispo with a bachelor of architecture degree. She has also done coursework at Cal State-Hayward, Stanford and Wisconsin in the areas of physiology and biomechanics.
'Bebe and I actually have some history,' added Rigsby. 'She coached my pair partner all through Georgetown and so our technique as a pair was greatly due to her coaching. She also coached us in 1995 going into the Olympics so I have a ton of respect of her as a coach. When I heard she was coming to Madison, I thought it would be an awesome opportunity if I could volunteer to coach under her or do something, but it didn 't work out with school until this year when all of a sudden there was a position.
"I think she has great energy and she is a very focused and intense coach and I think I can learn a lot from her. I think I can also lend a different perspective, as well, since I didn't come through a Division I program. I came through a club sport program. I didn't spend most of my time in big boats like the university's, I spent most of my time in the pair so kind of a different technical perspective than the typical collegiate coach. I'll be able to learn a ton from Bebe, but I think I also offer a fresh perspective on sort of a unique journey I had in rowing.'
