Two weeks ago we told you about 60-year-old Jill Ammirato and the Crash-B’s.

When we covered the Beach Sprints hosted by the Long Beach Rowing Association, and Rowbics Indoor Rowing Inc. sponsored some rowers, one of them being Ammirato.  Still a novice, having only rowed for four months, Ammirato qualified for the Crash-B finals in Boston with a time of 8:23.1.

Ammirato said before her trip that she just wanted to make Rowbics proud, and that’s exactly what she did by improving her time by six seconds and becoming one of only 33 of 2300 rowers to beat the predetermined qualifying times.

Her time of 8:17 was enough to finish fourth behind the Netherlands, England and champion Denmark.

Training with Long Beach Olympian Joan Van Blom has been the difference, according to Ammirato.  “I just focused on my split time.  Those other rowers have been doing it for thirty years.  I couldn’t chase them… I had to race my race.”

Rowbics instructor and Ammirato’s trainer Jack Nunn helped keep her focused on staying within herself, but as Ammirato said, “I don’t know what my capability is yet.”

It’s safe to say, Ammirato’s best rowing is still ahead or her.  “Oh yea, I’m gonna beat Denmark next year.”