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Joe Rantz is born
Joe Rantz was born in Spokane Washington and would later become a major part of the rowing team. " I shook Joe's hand again and told him I would like to come back and talk to him some more, and that I’d like to write a book about his rowing days. Joe grasped my hand again and said he’d like that, but then his voice broke once more and he admonished me gently, "But not just about me. It has to be about the boat."(26 brown). Joe through out the book never wanted all of the attention. -
the start of college rowing the future Olympians
On this day Joe Rantz, chuck day, Robert Moch and James McMillan had there freshmen tryouts. “something less physically and intellectually demanding, like football” (41 brown). This was Tom Bolles warning too the boys before the tryout. -
The New Recruits Struggle
Joe and his fellow freshman recruits struggle to grasp the basics of collegiate rowing." They are warned that achieving a spot on the Washington rowing team is a difficult task and that most of them will give up by the end of the semester"(56 Brown). -
Freshman race uc Berkley
The freshmen JV, and varsity teams continue to practice. Preparing for a race against their rival. UC Berkeley coached by Ulbrickson’s rival, Ky Elbright. Ulbrickson has all three teams race against one another, and is shocked to see that “the freshmen began to pull ahead” (85 brown), almost defeating the varsity team. Yet Bolles, the freshmen coach, struggles with the boys during practice. -
The sophomores get there chance
The sophomores team, because of the ability they had shown thus far, were give the ability to contend for the varsity spot. -
Freshman at Poughkeepsie
The Washington Teams swept all three events at Poughkeepsie -
Ulbrickson makes a announcement that he will be mixing up the boats
The boys will be put into set crews and race against one another. The crews would change periodically until Coach Ulbrickson found the perfect combination to race for the Olympic medal in Berlin. “It was up to each of them whether he would be there or not” (150 brown). An “All-out war” (150 brown) began in the shell house. pressure were rising as friends became enemies. -
Poughkeepsie
The Washington Teams sweep all three events at the poughkeepsie for the second time in a row -
Joe Leaves For the Summer to Make Some Money
Joe travels to the Grand Coulee dam site hoping to make enough money to get him through another year at UW. He takes the highest-paying job available, one that requires him to dangle off sheer cliff faces, and finds that two of his Washington teammates Johnny White and Chuck Day, are working there as well. The three fall “into an easy and comfortable confederacy” (202 brown), breaking Al Ulbrickson’s rules on drinking and smoking. -
Joes crew qualifies for the olympics
Joes crew was all exited when the heard the news but there choach new it was coming saying “All were merged into one smoothly working machine; they were, in fact, a poem of motion, a symphony of swinging blades.” (201 brown). -
Opening event at the Olympics
the crew watches the opening ceremony as Adolf Hitler opens the 1936 Berlin Olympics. -
The boys won gold
After the result is announced, the boys row to the stands “to polite applause” (353 brown). They are given their wreaths and medals. Joe watches as the American flag is raised “By the time it was over, they were all fighting back tears” (355 brown). That night, Joe stares at his gold medal and realizes that the true prize is the connection he has forged with all of his teammates. Finally recovered from his difficult childhood, Joe feels finally “whole ready to go home” (355 brown). -
Joe gets married
Joe and Joyce (Joes girlfriend) graduate from UW and get married on the same day. -
Joyce passes away
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Joe dies
Joe passes away at the age of 93
