Coach Profile: Colin Gray

Coach Profile: Colin Gray

Head Coach and Club Manager, Colin Gray, has been a mainstay at the Deep Cove Rowing Club for more than 16 years. Many coaches at clubs in and around Vancouver probably can’t remember a time before Colin was there!

Colin remembers his first introduction to the sport of rowing being in the summer of 1992, while tree planting in a remote area of BC. Without meaning to, he found himself watching Silken Laumann’s historic race on a hotel TV. Returning to university, he was drawn to a recruiting table for the rowing team, and his journey began. 

In a situation likely recognizable to many coaches, Colin’s coaching officially began as a Learn to Row coach while he was a student-athlete at the University of Winnipeg. From there, coaching has taken Colin to New York, Calgary, and finally Vancouver. Each new location and club environment has broadened Colin’s perspective on what can be possible in and through rowing. 

Some of the highlights from his years of coaching have included ride-alongs with notable coaches like Al Morrow, Mike Spracklen, and Laryssa Biesenthal, learning from their immense knowledge of the sport and also seeing how similar the challenges really are at all levels of coaching. Other highlights included trailering boats from the Calgary Rowing Club to Lake Louise, where he had a chance to meet and row alongside storied Canadian rower, Kathleen Heddle. One of his favorite parts of the whole journey has been the connections along the way – connections with other rowers, coaches, and just overall great people that make up the various aspects of the rowing community. 

Though he is certainly not one to ever brag, Colin has had a substantial impact on the growth of the rowing community, especially in Vancouver. Alongside other key volunteers he has helped the Deep Cove Rowing Club to host two regattas each Fall over a substantial number of years – the Deep Cove Classic, historically enjoyed for both its scenery and cash prizes, and the North Shore Youth Invitational Regatta, one of the first events in BC that allowed coaches to enter athletes based on their stage of development rather than their age. In the early 2010s, Colin was integral in beginning a Lower Mainland Composite Crew Program, bringing together the Head Coaches of the Junior programs from across the Lower Mainland to work on initiatives together that would help to elevate the level of competition possible within this pool of athletes. When Rowing BC had an operational board structure, Colin held the role of Highschool Rowing Coordinator for the province and was a great resource to many programs and coaches. He has a reputation amongst other coaches for always being ready to collaborate and happy to lend a hand, a boat, an athlete, or a spare part when needed. 

Like Colin, the stories of most coaches don’t follow a linear path. As opportunities open and close, the trajectory for any given coach moves and shifts. No matter where you are on your coaching journey, Rowing BC is here to support you. There is a wide variety of coach education opportunities already scheduled for 2025, and there are also chances to be paired up with coach mentors, ride-along in the coach boat of some of today’s most experienced coaches, and more. Reach out so we can support your journey as you support the sport of rowing in BC! 

Additional coach education information available HERE.