Carla Beekman started rowing in the skiff at the Willem III rowing club in Amsterdam at the age of twelve. She rowed competitions in different teams and boat types for 6 years and was also a regular participant in rowing tours. She then started coaching, soon focusing on recreational rowers because she noticed that they all were looking for more and better instruction. She also supervised youth rowing camps organised by the Dutch rowing federation KNRB.

She expanded her coaching experience at the Craftsbury Sculling Centre in the US and later at the national rowing centre at Ratzeburg, Germany. There she worked for a long time with German top coaches and learned the tricks of the trade for making and analyzing video recordings of the rowing movement.

Besides helping out rowers with their technique, Carla also helps out coaches at rowing clubs how to coach more efficiently and in a pleasant way.