Crista Hecht Photography

Michael McGill and Marybeth Weathersby
I'm so happy to have met these people and they made my photo story very worthwhile. I haven't been this excited about photo in a while and I think it has to do with how open and nice they were to me. I will be uploading another part of this later this week. I am also uploading more of these photos to my flickr because I couldn't decide what to use and I like them all. After waking up at 5 a.m. to be at the river at 6 a.m., I chose the first people I saw pull up to the river. I chose the right people..it's the kind of photo story that just makes you feel good for knowing the people. Thank you Marybeth and Michael and congratulations!

October 19, 2008 - Marybeth Weathersby, 58, and her husband, Michael McGill, 73, of Rye, N.H., carry McGill's boat to the dock on the Charles River at Magazine Beach half an hour before the start of the Senior-Veteran Singles Men's race at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. Weathersby, who has raced before, followed her husband throughout the race on her bike. "My job today is loyal assistant, shoe sherpa, and extra opinions on every subject," says Weathersby. "I just want to be there for him in case anything happens and to support him." Photo by Crista Hecht.

October 19, 2008 - Michael McGill, 73, of Rye, N.H., set up his shoes, water bottle and stroke meter in his Carl Douglas boat just before the Senior-Veteran Singles Men's race during the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. This was the first time McGill rowed in an event since his back injury last year. He placed ninth out of 27 competitors. "I prepared for the race by rowing just about every day, six days a week, for the last five months," says McGill. "I've been competing for 16 to 20 years." Photo by Crista Hecht.

October 19, 2008 - Marybeth Weathersby, 58, attaches the oars to the boat for her husband, Michael McGill, 73, before the start of the Senior-Veteran Singles Men's race at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. This was the first time McGill rowed in an event since his back injury last year. He placed ninth out of 27 competitors. "I've been rowing since I was 13 years old off and on, so maybe that's a total of 60 years," says McGill. Photo by Crista Hecht.

October 19, 2008 - Michael McGill, 73, of Rye, NH, rows past the one mile point in the three-mile Senior-Veteran Singles Men's race at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. This was the first time McGill rowed in an event since his back injury last year. He placed ninth out of 27 competitors. "This regatta is just a very exciting national event and it really is quite exciting to row in it," says McGill. "It really was rough with the headwind and that's why I really never got above." Photo by Crista Hecht.

October 19, 2008 - Marybeth Weathersby, 58, congratulates her husband, Michael McGill, 73, after he rowed in the Senior-Veteran Singles Men's race at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. This was the first time McGill rowed in an event since his back injury last year. He placed ninth out of 27 competitors.
"I'm so proud of you ducky!" said Weathersby.
"Really?" said McGill.
"Crossing the finish line, it was number one, two, three, four, then six, then 12 - you, so you passed quite a few people," said Weathersby.
Photo by Crista Hecht.