In the photo above Ben Washburne is the person the furthest to the right.
WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. -- Mark your calendars! Ben Washburne '23 is headed to the Paralympic Games in Paris to compete in the PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain event. Washburne grew up in Madison, Conn. and now lives and works in Cambridge, Mass. Washburne works for Intersect Power a Green Energy infrastructure company.
Ben, an outstanding student-athlete, rowed for the Ephs all four years to great success. He won the NESCAC Championships every year it was contested: 2021 as the bowman of the First Eight, 2022 as the stroke of the Second Eight, and in 2023 as the seven seat of the Second Eight. NESCACs were canceled in 2020 due to Covid.
Ben went above and beyond the NESCAC success during his time at Williams. He also raced at the IRA National Championships three years in a row, and in 2023 he won the inaugural Division III Men's Second Varsity Eight race.
All of Ben's success did not come overnight. Born with a severe club foot he had to undergo numerous surgeries, spending lots of time in a wheelchair. With a severely limited range of motion in one of his legs. Ben struggled in sports where athletes stand on their feet. He never gave up on athletics though, and when he discovered rowing in 8
th grade, his hard work, dedication, and love for the sport earned him a spot at Williams, where he continued to develop into a National Team level athlete.
Ben first earned a spot on the U.S. Senior Para Team in 2023, where he stroked the PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain to a silver medal at the World Rowing Championships on the same course the 2024 Paralympics races will be held.
Marc Mandel, the Men's Crew coach at Williams, is extremely proud of his former athlete. When asked for comment about the upcoming Paralympics, coach Mandel said, "Ben is part of a well-coached and motivated crew that has shown tremendous potential. Knowing the countless hours over the past year that they put into practice in the simple pursuit of making the boat go faster, I'm clearly excited to watch him and his teammates represent the U.S. at the highest level of our sport and experience everything that goes along with the Paralympics. Go USA!"
Eph Sports Information was able to contact Ben to ask about his upcoming races, Ben had this to say: "I am incredibly proud to be representing Team USA at the Paralympics! The excitement has been building. My boat has been training hard for the last four months together in Boston and just traveled over to Italy for a training trip before heading to the Games. We have found a lot of speed since our silver medal finish at World Cup III and cannot wait to give it our all in Paris! Thank you to everyone in the Williams community who has reached out with support and encouragement over the last few months."
The Paralympics TV Schedule on Peacock for PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain
Heats: August 30 – Approximately 6:00 AM EST
Repechage: August 31st – TBD
Final B: September 1 – TBD
Final A: September 1 – TBD
