Coached by people who love this lake.
From first-time rowers finding their balance to elite athletes aiming for national podiums, our coaches cultivate skill, grit, and teamwork in every shell.
Ben Williams
Men’s Head Coach
Ben Williams
Ben Williams brings a wealth of experience in coaching and athlete development. He served as the Varsity Girl’s Coach at River City Rowing Club from September 2020 to June 2023 and as a Men’s Rowing Coach at Capital Crew from 2015–2016. Ben holds an Associate’s Degree in Psychology from Orange Coast College and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Government from Grand Valley State University, where he rowed on both teams and wrote for the student newspaper. He is committed to developing athletes and contributing to the success of Dallas United Crew’s men’s team.
Cristine Kao
Delite Head Coach
Cristine Kao
Cristine Kao has been the Head Coach of the DUC Delite Dragon Boat Team since December 2020. Since then, the team has continued to grow and change in a positive direction. Her dedication to the sport and to building meaningful connections within the dragon boat community is clear in everything she does. With years of experience in competitive paddling—coaching teams like the Windy City Dragons and PfMB in DeKalb, IL, and helping build paddling programs at Lincoln Park Boat Club—Cristine has the expertise to lead athletes to success and build strong, high-performing teams at every level.
Amber Robidou
Adult Head Coach
Amber Robidou
Amber, a native of Missouri, grew up in a small town but has always held ambitious aspirations. Originally a competitive basketball player, her athletic career transitioned to rowing after career-ending knee injuries. Since then, Amber has dedicated herself to coaching, fitness, and performance training for over 15 years. Over the past decade, she has established herself as a dedicated indoor rowing athlete, achieving a sub-7-minute 2k erg score and earning recognition in the indoor rowing community. In the spring of 2024, her passion for rowing expanded into on-water competition. In the last year, Amber has served as the Head Masters Rowing Coach at DUC, where she has leveraged her vast coaching experience and deep passion for the sport. Focusing on the development of strong, well-rounded rowers, Amber combines technical expertise with a motivational coaching approach, fostering a positive and engaging training environment. She is dedicated to promoting growth, a sense of community, and challenging athletes to push their boundaries and achieve their personal bests. Outside of coaching, Amber’s greatest love is her family. She is married to Austin, and together they have two young children, Ethan and Jordan. Amber is also a motivational speaker and rare disease advocate, training to compete in the World’s Toughest Row for her nonprofit organization, Rowing 4 Rare. As Head Masters Coach, Amber aims to continue fostering excellence within the masters rowing community, sharing her knowledge, and inspiring athletes to reach their full potential both on and off the water.
Donna Coker
Pink Head Coach
Donna Coker
Donna Coker currently serves as the Secretary of the DUC Board. A Dallas native, Donna is a 35+ year resident of East Dallas. As a founding member and the coach of DUC PINK, the Dragonboat team specifically for Breast Cancer survivors, she has been paddling with DUC for over 8 years and has attended festivals locally and around the world representing DUC. Donna has served on the PTA Boards of Lakewood Elementary, Travis TAG and Woodrow Wilson High School and is Membership Chair for the Lakewood Hills Neighborhood Association. She works full-time as a Sr. Executive Assistant for two, highly successful Dallas business owners and investors.
Cherie Farmer
U17 Women’s Lead
Cherie Farmer
Cherie Farmer has spent the last seven years developing junior rowers into national-caliber athletes, guiding crews from U15 through U19 to consistent top-10 finishes at USRowing Youth National Championships. Since joining Dallas United Crew in 2019, she has coached everything from Middle School novices through U19 competitors, as well as Masters and Adaptive/Veterans’ rowing.
Cherie’s coaching highlights include a 1st place finish with her U17 2x at 2025 Nationals, a 2nd place finish with her U15 4x+ at 2023 Nationals, and multiple top-10 and top-16 national finishes across U15 and U17 boats from 2022 through 2026.
Her approach blends technical precision — catch timing, sequencing, and boat run — with structured program design, race strategy, and periodized training built around peak performance at championship regattas. She places equal emphasis on athlete welfare, building daily strength and conditioning routines, monitoring athlete load to reduce injury risk, and running race-week protocols that prepare crews mentally and physically for multi-day competition.
Before her coaching career, Cherie spent over two decades as a self-employed massage therapist and wellness educator, specializing in therapeutic recovery techniques — a background that continues to inform her focus on injury prevention and athlete recovery today.
Ryan Firestone
U17 Men’s Coach
Flo Elkins
Assistant Coach / Row Dallas Lead
Flo Elkins
Flo Elkins is a Certified Personal Trainer, Indoor Rowing Instructor, and a US Rowing Level 2 Coach. She is also a Wellness Strategist and the Founder of F.L.O. Life Fitness, Wellness & Consulting. Flo’s rowing journey began in 2015 when a personal training client invited her to a Learn-to-Row weekend with Los Angeles Rowing Club. After that first experience on the water, she was hooked. She joined the club, later served on the board as a member advocate, and became deeply involved in its operations. In 2020, during the pandemic, RowLA Program Director Susan Lillestol discovered Flo’s fitness content online. That summer, Flo joined RowLA as a Strength Trainer and later became an Assistant Rowing Coach, working with the Level 1 girls’ team and helping to run the Erg Ed Program in middle schools and high schools across inner-city Los Angeles. Flo moved to Texas in the summer of 2023 and continued her rowing journey and competed in several regattas with a Dallas area rowing club. In 2024, Flo joined Dallas United Crew’s (DUC) Masters team and that summer became an Assistant Coach for the middle school rowing program. She is also the Co-Founder of BachmanROC Rowing Club, which aims to serve as a feeder program for DUC and other Dallas-area rowing clubs. Flo has also coached with Ready Set Row (Alabama) and Craftsbury (Vermont). She is passionate about developing young athletes, using the sport of rowing to instill discipline, confidence, and life skills they can carry beyond the water. As part of the DUC coaching staff, she looks forward to helping structure and grow the middle school program.
Nan Gao
Assistant Coach
Nan Gao
Nan Gao’s coaching journey began at DUC after she relocated to Dallas and embraced her passion for rowing as a masters competitor across various clubs. In 2022, she had the privilege of coaching middle school students and eventually transitioned to the women’s team as an assistant coach. Nan discovered rowing during her freshman year of college. Growing up in Mexico City, she had no prior exposure to this sport. Her background includes training and competing in swimming, volleyball, and table tennis at the national and international levels. However, rowing truly captivates her. She likes how the sport uniquely blends mental and physical strength with the essence of teamwork, forging friendships and connections for which she is forever thankful. Nan’s commitment to the sport led her to pursue her Level 2 rowing certification and to coach part-time during the season. She is dedicated to helping her athletes reach their potential on the water and grow as individuals. Her goal is to empower girls to become their best selves as athletes and community members.