In an effort to reduce costs, the 2025 Rowing Canada Coaches Conference was held virtually this past year. The two-day affair concluded with the Rowing Canada Awards of Excellence which celebrates the achievements of athletes, coaches and officials from across Canada over the past 12 months. Alberta athletes were well represented at the event with Jessica Sevick, Kasia Gruchella Wesierski, Gabrielle Yarema, Gabriella Worobec, Gabrielle Kieser, Eliza Dawson, Shaye de Paiva, Remo Cramer and Mikaela Holthuis all being recognized for their athletic achievements in 2024. In addition, an Alberta athlete was recognized with the Tony Zasada Memorial Award.
Tony Zasada Award – Anna Currie – Rowing Canada and the Zasada family established the Tony Zasada Memorial Award in 1985, given to an athlete in Canada that best emulates Tony’s spirit, character and determination. The first oarsman from Saskatchewan to compete at an Olympic Games, Tony died in a car crash shortly after those Los Angeles Games in 1984.
Anna Currie is this year’s recipient of the Tony Zasada Memorial Award. Anna took up the sport of rowing in 2008, following her older sister down to Wascana Lake in Regina, Saskatchewan. She would go on to represent her home province at the 2011 WCSG in Kamloops B.C and later at the 2013 CSG in Sherbrooke Quebec.
Anna, made her international rowing debut representing Canada at the World University Championships in Poznan Poland in 2016. In 2018, Anna made the decision to move to Alberta, and hasn’t looked back winning Henley gold in both the Women’s 4- and Lightweight 1x events. In 2024, Anna was selected to represent Canada at the World Rowing Championships finishing in third place in the Lightweight Women’s Pair alongside her pair partner Ciara Stevenson. Congratulations Anna on being selected as this year’s recipient of the Tony Zasada Memorial Award.
ARA Erg Championships
There was a time when the writer himself competed at the ARA Erg Championships. In those days the event was held at a local rowing club and would start and finish within a two-hour window. Today, the event is held in a state of the art athletic complex in Blackfalds, Alberta, attracts over 150+ athletes from clubs across the province and helps kickstart the competitive rowing season. The growth of this event is a testament to the efforts of the coaches and volunteers within the Central Alberta Rowing Club.
This year’s event is slated to take place on Saturday March 1, 2025 at the Blackfalds Field House just north of Red Deer. If you have not already registered but plan to do so simply inform your club coach and they will take care of the rest. The cost to register is $30. To check out details of the event visit https://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/entries/competitors?job_id=9570&event_id=21
National Rowing Day 2025
In conjunction with all rowing communities across the nation, Alberta rowers are challenged to heat up their indoor rowing machines for Indoor Rowing Day in Canada – Coast to Coast 2025!
The purpose is to gather Albertans and Canadians on an indoor rowing machine on Saturday February 22, 2025. We want to create a wave of indoor rowing with the goal of crossing Canada from coast to coast at least once! We encourage all Alberta clubs to participate. Many of the details associated with the event are now with your local clubs. The ARA encourages everyone to not only participate, but to also try and bring a friend down with you to the event. The event is an opportunity to grow rowing in our country.
Made in Canada Coaching Program
In 2022, Rowing Canada (RCA) launched the Made in Canada (MIC) Coaches program, an initiative designed to cultivate a robust pipeline of Canadian coaches dedicated to developing Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Coaches selected to the program participate in a unique set of opportunities with the goal of one day leading the next crop of Olympic and Paralympic athletes onto the podium.
The ARA congratulates Alex Marchuk, on being selected as a successful candidate for the 2025 MIC initiative. In speaking with Alex, she is excited for the opportunity and can’t wait to see where the program takes her in the year ahead. Congratulations Alex!
Rowing Stories
With the dog days of winter upon us, motivation becomes difficult. To help us all get through this difficult patch, it was felt that a motivational video on the Ergo, might be the cure for the winter blues. See attached.
Upcoming Events
National Rowing Day 2024 – Saturday February 22, 2025 – Locations across Alberta
Alberta Erg Champs – Saturday March 1, 2025 – Blackfalds, Alberta