Powerful Life

Coaching the next generation of rowers

Bridget Navratil awakens at 3:45 a.m., prepares for her day and heads outside for a frigid morning on Carter Lake. 

Hours before she begins her job as OPPD’s sustainability program manager, Navratil coaches dozens of young women on Creighton University’s rowing team. The New Jersey native has always loved the sport and wanted to give back after graduating, just like the coaching staff that shaped her life. 

Along the way, rowing has given her the skills – teamwork, commitment, endurance and perseverance – that led her to an unexpected life in Omaha and a career at OPPD. 

“I love my day job. It brings me a lot of fulfillment,” Navratil said. “But being able to coach and be there for the team in a way that my high school and college coaches were for me – that just brings me a lot of joy.” 

A new life in Nebraska

Growing up in a Manhattan suburb, Navratil knew almost nothing about Nebraska. But as her rowing hobby grew, from seventh grade tryouts to a successful high school career, she started looking at colleges with strong programs. 

One was Creighton University. An enthusiastic coaching staff flew her to Omaha for a campus visit. Navratil was drawn to engineering fields, and the university’s sustainability energy technology major piqued her interest. So did the rowing team’s atmosphere. 

“Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t know anybody,” Navratil said. “The team gave me that initial friend group and support system.” 

To an East Coast kid, the “Midwest Nice” experience was new, and a bit unnerving. So were tornado sirens. The first time she heard a system test, Navratil panicked and ran to the nearest storm shelter. 

“Everyone acted so friendly,” Navratil said. “But my friends told me, ‘No, that’s just how people are here. They’re genuinely nice.’” 

A lot of her teammates came from out of state, as well. They supported each other, through homesickness and finals and rides to Target for groceries. 

Navratil became the team captain her senior year and learned a lot about leadership, dealing with conflict, and budgets. 

‘The ultimate team sport’

There’s much more to rowing than meets the eye. 

As an assistant coach, Navratil shows Creighton’s incoming rowers (mostly freshman and sophomores) the basics: How to carry the boat. Proper form. How to row as one, breathe as one, and climb into a boat without putting your foot through the fragile floorboards. 

On the water, details matter. Crews occupy four- and eight-person boats, depending on the event. If one rower’s blade hits the water half a second late, it can cause the boat to turn. 

“We always joke that rowing the ultimate team sport,” Navratil said. “No matter your height, you need the exact same reach on your catch and on your stroke.” 

In a headwind, Navratil shows crews how to lift their paddles and snap their wrists, turning the oar parallel to the water to minimize drag – a technique known as a flip catch. In a tailwind, rowers hold their oars perpendicular to the water to snag an extra push from the air. 

Exhaustion takes a toll. Even in miserable, 25-degree windchills, rowers warm up quickly. Each explosive stroke tests the arms, legs and core. Callouses and blisters cover their hands. Winded rowers gasp for air, cough, even vomit. Races are based on time, with long-distance races stretching as far as 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). 

“It’s the best workout anyone can do because it utilizes almost every muscle in the body,” Navratil said. 

In March, the team traveled down to Waco, Texas for the start of the spring season. They’ve also visited Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Illinois. 

Navratil’s colleagues at Creighton see her as a role model and strong mentor for young athletes. 

“I think the biggest thing with her is how much she cares about the athletes, rowing and her work,” said Daniel Chipps, head rowing coach at Creighton, who recruited Navratil to Omaha. “She is one of the nicest people I’ve ever known, she’s caring, and when she gets enthusiastic about something, she goes all in.” 

Building a bright energy future

Navratil sees some parallels with her work at OPPD. In rowing, team members are different, but they combine their talents into a stronger operation. 

“Every single person has their own job to get the boat to move as efficiently as possible,” she said. “I think that’s true as well with different departments here. Everyone has their own skillset and purpose. No one individual can get a major project done.” 

At OPPD, Navratil tracks the utility’s carbon emissions and works with volunteer “Green Teams” in every area of the company to improve OPPD’s efficiency, save money and reduce the utility’s environmental footprint. 

All of OPPD’s service centers and most of its generation plants have their own Green Team, composed of plant workers and facility staff. 

One idea from the Omaha Service Center was a three-ton crusher wheel that condenses waste hauls by half, reducing OPPD’s carbon footprint and saving money. Another was a new CNC mill and lathe for Sarpy County Station. That equipment allows workers to create parts that aren’t readily available in hardware stores. 

Navratil also oversees the funds from OPPD’s renewable energy credit program, which helps pay for energy efficiency and carbon reduction programs at OPPD owned facilities. 

Stronger Together

In 2018, Creighton Rowing started program called “Stronger Together,” a support group for breast cancer survivors. It eventually expanded to all women at any stage of cancer. Navratil began as volunteer to row with the women and now coaches them.  

Many have become close friends and sources of inspiration, reminding her that even the toughest days aren’t that bad. 

“They’re some of the most inspirational women you’ll ever meet,” she said. “Their outlook on life is incredible.” 

When she meets her coworkers at OPPD, they can tell when she’s been doing Stronger Together work. 

“They say, ‘You’re very happy today,’” Navratil said. “And that’s true. I am.” 

The program started with nine women but grew quickly as word spread on social media. Navratil joined while interning at Valmont Industries, where she met her husband, Michael. 

The mission was personal as well: Her mother is also a breast cancer survivor. Her grandma died just a few months after doctors diagnosed a brain tumor. 

“I’ve always liked volunteering, and this allowed me to interact with some incredible women and hear their stories,” she said. “Those are the women I turn to with questions and support. We’ve created a community within a community.”