Our History

2000 — Present

While Lake Brantley Rowing Association has existed since 1988, it had not become a sizable program until 2000. At that time, the program operated from a single bay shared with the Orlando Rowing Club Master's Program and a club from Bishop Moore. Even though we had approximately eighty rowers in the program, the club made do with four boats.

In 2002, we began to receive messages from the City of Orlando that they wished for us to vacate the city-owned Orlando Rowing Club Boathouse at Fairview Park on Lee Road. We attempted to make an arrangement to increase our rent or build our own boathouse on the adjoining property, to no avail.

We received the news in December 2003, in the middle of our season: the club would have to move. The group that later became known as the LBRA Legacy Foundation explored every possibility in Seminole County. Lake Brantley itself is surrounded by private development and has high boat traffic — there was no public access available.

Through perseverance, generous donations, and countless volunteer hours, the Legacy Foundation made it happen. Today, the John McLain – LBRA Legacy Boathouse on N Orange Blossom Trail is a fully self-supporting facility owned by the club, by the rowers, for the rowers — with the equipment and infrastructure to deliver a championship-level program to every athlete who walks through our doors.

We started with eighty rowers and four boats. We're still rowing.