5 October 2026

By Angela Wunderli
(text and photos)

It was a warm and lovely day and generations of rowing greatness – a noticeable amount of exceptionally tall people – gathered at the Mystic River Boathouse Park in Mystic on September 19 to honor rowing legends Hart Perry and Jim Dietz.

It was ten years and millions of man hours in the making for this ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Jim Dietz Rowing Center and the Hart Perry Boathouse.

Gill Perry Millsom, widow of Hart Perry, started the event with a talk about Hart’s dream of a boathouse on the Mystic River. There was a lot of appreciation for John Thornell, Stonington High School Women’s Coach, who said he had learned to cry since coaching young women.

It was a day to honor great teammates and coaches. Willie Castle talked about the impact his coach, mentor and friend Jim Dietz had on his life, not only as a rower.

It was such a beautiful day – poetic justice that this was more favorable weather than the Coastweeks Regatta from the previous weekend. Jim Dietz setting standards of excellence, finding the sport at new levels and passing on the love of rowing. He talked about the enduring commitment to the sport. Remembering that making an impact on other people’s lives is legendary. 

Mystic was incomplete until this day.

As a Mid-Atlantic DC rower, I did feel behind enemy lines. However, in the words of three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Josh Davis, “Your biggest rivals can become your biggest friends. Don’t miss that opportunity.”

Some pictures from the event: