Come join 2025 BAYADA Regatta para rowers and spectators from across the nation for a fun-filled day of racing competition—giving everyone, young and old, something to cheer for!
Philadelphia, PA, August 27, 2025— The 2025 BAYADA Regatta, the nation’s first and longest-running regatta created exclusively for people with disabilities, will be held Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Camden County Boathouse, 7050 N. Park Drive in Cooper River Park, Pennsauken Township, NJ.
This competition is open to para rowers of all ages and abilities from across the globe, from beginners to Paralympians. BAYADA Home Health Care has been the primary sponsor since 1983, in partnership with Philadelphia Adaptive Rowing (PAR) who founded the event in 1981.
Races are classified according to International Rowing Federation (FISA) standards, matching competitors of similar physical abilities and experience levels. A veteran’s category, the Freedom Cup, honors racers who have served in the US Armed Forces, some with service-related injuries.
Using single and double para-rowing shells that have been adapted for safety and stability, athletes train throughout the year to prepare for this event, and many travel here together with their local rowing club.
In addition to BAYADA’s financial support, BAYADA employees give many volunteer hours to help make this annual regatta weekend a success.
“The BAYADA Regatta is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people are given the right support and opportunity,” said David Baiada, CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care. “Watching these athletes push themselves and celebrate each other is inspiring, and it reflects exactly why we do what we do: helping people live the life they choose, with dignity and independence.”
Rower Spotlight: Nancy Leverett from Pittsburgh, PA
Nancy is 72 years young and has been legally blind since birth. She had always been physically active as a child, but those opportunities seemed to dry up as a teen and young adult until she found Western Pennsylvania Blind Outdoor Leisure Development, or BOLD, of which Nancy is now president.
In the 1990s, she became one of the first members of Three Rivers Rowing Association for people who are visually impaired, where she trains today.
Nancy has been competing at the BAYADA Regatta since 2012. She has great technique and—don’t let her modesty fool you—a drawer full of medals.
“Rowing is a full-body workout, and I love being on the water. It feels really nice when you get a rhythm going. Competing here is so much fun, being with other people with disabilities. You don’t feel like a second-class citizen. This regatta is for you, and that’s a great feeling.”
Rower Spotlight: Joel Howe from Jacksonville, FL
Joel is 55 years old and sustained multiple traumatic injuries in a car accident nearly twenty years ago. After many years sitting on the couch, he found Brooks Adaptive Sports and soon, there wasn’t a sport he didn’t like.
Joel took a Learn to Row class at an able-bodied club, and he continues to train there and at Brooks Adaptive. The lesson he learned rowing, he says, is just don’t stop, keep moving.
“I’ve never been in such good health, mentally or physically. I had PTSD from my accident, but rowing has improved my memory and mood. I’ve been hooked ever since I went to my first BAYADA Regatta. This is hands-down my favorite event, and I’m blessed to be able to do it.”
Watch Joel in the Single PR3 (PR3 = using legs, trunk, and arms). “A medal is a bonus, but for me, it’s always a race against the clock. There’s only one person who can defeat you at anything, and that’s yourself.”
Free and Open to the Public—Donations Welcome
Join us on race day and cheer with hundreds of rowing enthusiasts from across the country. Admission and parking are free in Cooper River Park.
Click here for more information and to support these rowers with a donation.
About BAYADA Home Health Care
Celebrating 50 years of care that comes from the heart, BAYADA Home Health Care is the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit home health care provider with over 370 locations across the United States and in Germany, India, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Since 1975, BAYADA has been earning the public trust by helping people stay safe at home and by caring for them with compassion, excellence, and reliability, the core values expressed in its statement of purpose, The BAYADA Way®.
BAYADA is proud to support clients of all ages and abilities with a full range of personalized nursing, rehabilitative, therapeutic, hospice, and personal care services. Always anticipating future trends, BAYADA is building a movement of stakeholders to transform home health care so millions can receive the essential services they need.
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