Charles Alexander of Fergus and Hayley Chase of Alma recently represented Canada at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Poznan, Poland.
To make their respective teams they had to undergo a vetting process lasting over three days.
Being selected means they are two of the best Canadian athletes from schools across the country and the United States.
The event, which ran from July 25 to 29, was the first international competition for both Alexander and Chase.
In fact, three years ago, neither had ever rowed before.
Both Wellington residents moved over 400 kilometres away, to Laurentian University in Sudbury, to find the sport – or rather, for the sport to find them.
Chase, who is a year ahead of Alexander at Laurentian, was recruited by head rowing coach Amanda Schweinbenz at a university fair.
“I thought, ‘Oh this would be fun to try,’” Chase recalled.
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CHARLES ALEXANDER (Photo by Amanda Schweinbenz/@lu_rowing) |
When Schweinbenz approached Alexander the following year, he took a bit more persuading. But he was ultimately swayed by the possibility of making it to the Olympics.
“[Schweinbenz] showed up with some numbers from a program called Row to the Podium, and said, ‘Well, if you hit these standards you can start training for the Olympics,’” says Alexander.
Taking part in the Under 23 Championships brought both Alexander and Chase a step closer to that dream.
In Poland, Chase and the rowers in the Canadian women’s quadruple sculls boat finished in fifth place overall out of 18 countries, a result she and her teammates were proud of.
Alexander and the Canadian men’s quadruple scull placed 13th overall, a score he says could have been higher if not for some difficulties the team faced before the race.
However, both Alexander and Chase found the experience at the international competition invaluable in preparing for future races and improving their technique.
They didn’t have long to wait to put those lessons into practice.
Shortly after coming home, Chase and Alexander took part in the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, which ended just last weekend.
For Alexander, the main thing he learned from the Under 23 Championships is how to mentally prepare for such a high-stakes race.
“Rowing is very much a mental game, especially when you get to a more elite level,” he said.
“It comes down to what you can do mentally, not what you can do physically.”
According to Chase, having fun at the competitions is the most important thing.
But waking up early in the winter months and training three times a day, six days a week to make it in the sport, sometimes takes extra motivation.
“My goal is the 2020 [Olympics],” she said.
“It’s a motivation of how close it is.
“Even just being able to go back to the Under 23 next year is a great motivator.”
