Temple University Athletics
Mike Mirabella (2nd from right) Rowed at Temple from 2009 through 2013
Pennsylvania Athletic Club Names Scholarship in Honor of Mike Mirabella '13
4.19.16 | Men's Crew
PHILADELPHIA -- The Pennsylvania Athletic Club Rowing Association recently announced the creation of a scholarship in honor of former Temple rower, Mike Mirabella '13, who passed away at age 23 after a long bout with cancer.Â
Mirabella, a native of Galloway, N.J., was a member of the Temple Varsity 8 his final three seasons, helping the Owls win numerous gold medals. Â He was also actively involved with the Temple Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as his team's SAAC representative his final two years.
The scholarship will be offered each year to one athlete from Philadelphia City Rowing (PCR) for a full ride in the Penn AC Gold U19 summer camp.
PCR Executive Director Terry Dougherty said, "Establishing this scholarship is a great tribute to [Mike's] memory. He was always upbeat and demonstrated his compassion for others. "
"We still miss Mike and we wanted to recognize him in this way so that more young rowers will hear his story and so that he will continue to be remembered for the great person he was," said Penn AC President Mike Wherley.
"It amazes me how people are still thinking of him and still honoring him," said Mirabella's mother, Cathy Moeller. "I wish I knew how people thought about him before all this happened and how he really impacted so many people."
Penn AC has awarded similar scholarships to PCR athletes over each of the past three years, but decided to name the scholarship permanently after Mirabella, who was training at Penn AC with its High Performance Group and was also a mentor for athletes at PCR when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the fall of 2013.
"When PCR began a mentoring program, Mike Mirabella was one of the first to step up and volunteer," said Dougherty. "His willingness to do for others will be greatly missed."
Mirabella was a very successful rower at Temple University ('14) and Absegami High School ('09) before he came to Penn AC with the dream to make the U.S. National Team.
"He had an inner competitive drive that led to his successes on the water, but he was also the type of person you wanted to get to know better – very respectful and kind to others," said Wherley. "He was a great role model to have around the boathouse and was the type of rower and person we would like to see all junior rowers become."
It was Mirabella's compassion for others that shined brightly as the selfless young man created Cycle4Awareness with two other Temple students in 2012 to raise money and spread awareness for those children with special needs.
In an effort to raise money and awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorder, he and another Temple crew alum, Ryan Rickus, embarked on a 1900-mile bicycle journey in August 2012 from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The three-week Cycle4Awareness trip saw Mirabella and Rickus travel 100 miles per a day with the end destination being Key West, Fla.
It was the first of two trips that he orchestrated with Cycle4Awareness. Â On the other trip, Mirabella, Rickus and former Temple rower Fergal Barry traveled from Vancouver, British Columbia, to San Diego, Calif., to raise money and awareness for the Athletes Helping Athletes, Inc.
Penn AC will hold a ceremony at The Stotesbury Cup Regatta on the weekend of May 20-21 to announce the winner of the 2016 scholarship.
Mirabella, a native of Galloway, N.J., was a member of the Temple Varsity 8 his final three seasons, helping the Owls win numerous gold medals. Â He was also actively involved with the Temple Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as his team's SAAC representative his final two years.
The scholarship will be offered each year to one athlete from Philadelphia City Rowing (PCR) for a full ride in the Penn AC Gold U19 summer camp.
PCR Executive Director Terry Dougherty said, "Establishing this scholarship is a great tribute to [Mike's] memory. He was always upbeat and demonstrated his compassion for others. "
"We still miss Mike and we wanted to recognize him in this way so that more young rowers will hear his story and so that he will continue to be remembered for the great person he was," said Penn AC President Mike Wherley.
"It amazes me how people are still thinking of him and still honoring him," said Mirabella's mother, Cathy Moeller. "I wish I knew how people thought about him before all this happened and how he really impacted so many people."
Penn AC has awarded similar scholarships to PCR athletes over each of the past three years, but decided to name the scholarship permanently after Mirabella, who was training at Penn AC with its High Performance Group and was also a mentor for athletes at PCR when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the fall of 2013.
"When PCR began a mentoring program, Mike Mirabella was one of the first to step up and volunteer," said Dougherty. "His willingness to do for others will be greatly missed."
Mirabella was a very successful rower at Temple University ('14) and Absegami High School ('09) before he came to Penn AC with the dream to make the U.S. National Team.
"He had an inner competitive drive that led to his successes on the water, but he was also the type of person you wanted to get to know better – very respectful and kind to others," said Wherley. "He was a great role model to have around the boathouse and was the type of rower and person we would like to see all junior rowers become."
It was Mirabella's compassion for others that shined brightly as the selfless young man created Cycle4Awareness with two other Temple students in 2012 to raise money and spread awareness for those children with special needs.
In an effort to raise money and awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorder, he and another Temple crew alum, Ryan Rickus, embarked on a 1900-mile bicycle journey in August 2012 from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The three-week Cycle4Awareness trip saw Mirabella and Rickus travel 100 miles per a day with the end destination being Key West, Fla.
It was the first of two trips that he orchestrated with Cycle4Awareness. Â On the other trip, Mirabella, Rickus and former Temple rower Fergal Barry traveled from Vancouver, British Columbia, to San Diego, Calif., to raise money and awareness for the Athletes Helping Athletes, Inc.
Penn AC will hold a ceremony at The Stotesbury Cup Regatta on the weekend of May 20-21 to announce the winner of the 2016 scholarship.
Ep. 29: Last Episode of First Semester from David & Amelia
Wednesday, December 17
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Adam Fisher)
Sunday, December 14
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Derrian Ford & Gavin Griffiths)
Sunday, December 14
Ep. 28: Vice President/Debbie & Stanley Lefkowitz '65 Director of Athletics Arthur Johnson
Friday, December 12
