COACHES
HEAD COACH Bill Palmer
Bill Palmer began his rowing career at Edgewater High School in 1983, where he was elected men’s team captain as a senior. During his high school career, he competed in six state championship regattas and won all six.
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He continued rowing at Clemson University, where in 1988 he helped establish the Clemson Rowing Club. After one year as an athlete, Palmer was asked to step into a coaching role, serving simultaneously as a student and coach for two years. During that time, he organized Clemson’s first rowing regatta, the Clemson Sprints.
Following graduation, Palmer returned to Orlando to help operate his family business, Palmer Feed Store. In 1991, he returned to the sport as head coach of the Edgewater High School men’s crew. One year later, he was hired to lead Boone High School’s men’s crew program, where he coached from 1992 to 1994 and guided the team to multiple state championships.
After a period focused on running the family business full time, Palmer returned to rowing in 1997 as a coach with OARS. He later stepped away again to focus on family life, returning to coaching when his daughter began rowing at Edgewater. From 2016 to 2019, he served as head coach of Edgewater’s women’s team.
Following a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, Palmer rejoined Edgewater High School as coach of the freshman men’s crew from 2022 to 2023 and subsequently returned to coach the women’s team from 2024 to 2025.
With decades of experience as both an athlete and coach, Palmer brings deep institutional knowledge, a passion for athlete development, and a lifetime of stories from the sport of rowing.
ASSISTANT COACH Violet Hewett
Violet Hewett is excited to join Braves Rowing as a Coach for the 2025–26 season. A Central Florida native and former Division I athlete at West Virginia University, Violet spent four years competing in the Varsity 8+ and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors in both 2024 and 2025. She graduated with honors in Exercise Physiology and is continuing her education at the University of Tampa, pursuing a Master’s in Exercise and Nutrition Science.
Throughout her collegiate career, Violet served as a team captain gaining valuable leadership experience, learning resiliency and supporting her teammates on and off the water. She is passionate about fostering discipline, confidence, and teamwork in young athletes while helping them develop a passion for this beautiful sport.
ASSISTANT COACH-Land Trainer Ray Garner
Coach Ray grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma and played several sports. He studied Recreation Management at Oklahoma State University, working as a Competitive Sports official and operations staff member while pursuing personal training certification. He interned with their sports and fitness leadership teams before joining Duke University as Fitness and Wellness Assistant, also coaching at Parisi Speed School and YMCA of The Triangle.
He later became Fitness Graduate Assistant at the University of Mississippi, overseeing Personal Training and earning his MS in Health Promotion. Coach Ray coached speed and agility at Southern Performance Institute and developed youth baseball and soccer players.
In 2022, Coach Ray moved to Orlando to work as Fitness Coordinator at UCF’s Recreation and Wellness Center, supervising fitness staff and assisting with group exercise offerings. He also worked part-time at RDV Sportsplex. Currently, he trains clients, interns with UCF Football Strength and Conditioning, and helps with other athletic events. Certified by ACSM and working toward NSCA certification, Coach Ray is passionate about motivating others and aims to enhance Boone High School Rowing Club’s competitive spirit.