Girls Rowing

Upon setting foot in the boathouse on the first day of practice last fall, the Girls Rowing team has carried forth the Brentwood legacy of success, grit, and abiding determination. As new rowers joined the ranks of experienced girls, friendships were formed and a great deal was learned. First term was marked by great achievements: winning both the Shawnigan Dual and Head of the Gorge, in addition to sending crews to Seattle to compete internationally at the Head of the Lake. As first term came to an end, we said our goodbyes to our beloved Mr. Wismer as he headed off on an exchange to Australia, where he is spending the year coaching girls’ rowing at Geelong Grammar School.  Second term arrived, and despite Mill Bay’s wintertime bumpy waters and rain, we continued to excel athletically, crushing our competition at our annual Brentwood/Shawnigan Erg Fest and setting the tone for our upcoming racing season. After a winter of dreaded erg sessions, we headed off to a Spring Break training camp in Newport Beach, CA. Our second term woes were quickly exchanged for tan lines, blisters, and boat speed - rowing a total of 184 kilometres in a mere ten days. By the time third term came along, our crews were ready to put up a fight for the podium. Our early morning rows had made us resilient, and countless hours spent in boats and on buses had made us stronger than ever as a crew. As a women’s program, we raced against some of the top high school and club teams in the country, earning distinctions and creating competitive rivalries with St. Michael’s and VCRC. These achievements, however, were much more than ribbons and medals—not only did we thrive as individual athletes, we prospered as a team. Thank you, Mrs. Sage, Mr. Wismer, Mr. Wood & Mr. Vermegen for always believing in us, and for motivating us to be the best versions of ourselves. We truly could not have done it without you. Good luck next year! Gwyneth Z, Girls’ Boathouse Captain, Alex ‘15