Rowing BC announces recipients of the 2022 Annual Awards

Each year, Rowing BC recognizes award winners in five categories:

• Outstanding Volunteer(s) of the Year
• Learn to Row Coach of the Year
• Umpire of the Year
• Athlete of the Year
• Performance Coach of the Year

Outstanding Volunteer(s) of the Year

Each member organization can nominate up to three recipients for an Outstanding Volunteer(s) of the Year award. This is an important way to recognize those key volunteers who tirelessly put in time behind the scenes to make the organization and events run as smoothly as they do. This year, nine member organizations have selected Outstanding Volunteers to present these awards to.

Congratulations and thank you to these Outstanding Volunteers of the Year.

• Tai Bezeau, Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society
• Carola Brunner, Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club
• Cheryl Chipps-Smith, Vancouver Rowing Club
• Nick Collier, Vancouver Rowing Club
• Maggie DuMonceaux, Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society
• Anita Ely, Shuswap Rowing and Paddling Association
• Rene Gonin, Victoria City Rowing Club
• Noa Hardcastle, University of Victoria
• Sue Inden, Inlet Rowing Club
• Simon Litherland, False Creek Rowing Club
• Algis Masys, Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club
• Veronica Peacock, Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society
• Jennifer Reed, Shuswap Rowing and Paddling Association
• Roberta Rodgers, Rockies Rowing Club
• Kate Rutherford, Nanaimo Rowing Club
• Janelle Smith, Vancouver Rowing Club
• Chris Tudan, Shuswap Rowing and Paddling Association

Learn to Row Coach of the Year

In the category of Learn to Row Coach of the Year, nominations were open from anyone in the rowing community. Of those nominations, one final winner is selected by Rowing BC’s Awards Committee. Thank you to all those who submitted nominations.

This year’s Learn to Row Coach of the Year Award goes to Dylan Annandale.

As Grow Rowing initiatives expand across BC, finding just the right coaches is one of the key challenges many local rowing organizations face. Dylan brought a flexible attitude and very person-centered approach to his coaching, creating positive first contact experiences for more than 100 participants across three local rowing organizations. In addition, he was instrumental behind the scenes ensuring that registration processes ran smoothly and participants had a welcoming, safe, and inclusive experience from start to finish. In feedback forms, Dylan was mentioned by name as one of the main things many participants had enjoyed about their summer rowing opportunities. 

Congratulations Dylan. 

Umpire of the Year

In this first year back to a full regatta calendar, BC umpires have had plenty to do. The work that umpires do to ensure safe and fair racing is invaluable and important. The recipient of the Umpire of the Year Award has been visible at many regattas and with several different hats on. His umpire colleagues have felt that his efforts really stood out this year, saying, “He seems to have signed up to umpire for almost every regatta this year small or big, Island or Mainland.”

For all of these reasons and more, York Langerfeld is this year’s winner of the Rowing BC Umpire of the Year Award!

Congratulations York.

Athlete of the Year

The description of this category is purposefully slightly vague. This gives Rowing BC the flexibility each year to be able to thoughtfully determine which athletes really stood out – either through their performance or by overcoming a major obstacle… 

This year, we are recognizing two athletes.

These BC athletes have been involved in rowing in British Columbia for over 10 years starting at their respective clubs as young junior rowers. Each of them are true examples of following our athlete pathway to excellence. They have represented BC at the Western Canada Summer Games in 2015, Canada Summer Games in 2017 as well as at past National Rowing Championships. And this year, they raced as a pair together representing Rowing BC at the National Championships and finished 2nd overall. We look forward to what the future holds for these two athletes.

This year’s award goes to Piper Battersby and McKenna Simpson.

Congratulations Piper and McKenna.

Performance Coach of the Year

This award is chosen based on performance outcomes that are purposefully not tightly defined. This gives Rowing BC the opportunity to choose a coach each year that fits the specific circumstances of that year. There are a lot of performance coaches behind the recent successes of BC athletes on National Teams as well as at the Canada Summer Games, Canadian University Rowing Championships and National Rowing Championships.

This year’s award goes to a coach whose program and athletes have had much success this year. From multiple athletes being named to Canada’s National Teams and Team BC at the Canada Summer Games as well as the National Rowing Championships. This coach not only had athletes racing in these events, he was also selected to coach for Rowing Canada at the U23 Worlds. From winning the Canadian University Men’s Championship banner to success at the Head of the Charles, this coach has had a successful year.

The recipient of this year’s Rowing BC Performance Coach of the Year Award is Mike Pearce.

Congratulations Mike. 

Thank you and congratulations to all of the 2022 Rowing BC Annual Awards recipients!