Lakeland rowers a dedicated crew

Long before students were back gracing the hallways of Lakeland in the fall of 2020, two members of the rowing team were already thinking about the new season. Cassandra deLeeuw and Yasin Demirtas were contemplating what type of a rowing experience they would have in the fall.

DeLeeuw, a second year animal health technology student from Spruce Grove, Alta., had a great first year with the Rustler rowing team in the 2019–2020 season. It was a sport she did not compete in previously but developed a passion for and vowed to return to compete in the 2019-2020 season. Over the summer, she secured an employment opportunity in northern Ontario in a remote fishing camp, a long way from the familiar training grounds of the Vermilion River. Here her main line of contact with Coach Peter Walsh was her mother who was constantly looking for updates on the rowing program.

Walsh recalls, "Cass' mom was always looking for updates on the rowing program and when updates went out regarding ACAC athletics, she was asking whether rowing was going to occur.  When I confirmed rowing was going ahead, just in a little different format, I was consistently receiving correspondence from mom and daughter about what Cass needed to do in preparation for the fall. I truly love the passion of both Cass and her mom."

Yasin Demirtas made the long trek to attend Lakeland from Eskisehir, Turkey in the fall of 2019.  Yasin became a first-time rower in the fall of 2019 and also developed a passion for the sport.  Knowing full well that if he returned in the fall, there was a strong possibility there may not be a season or the opportunity to train, he remained in Vermilion to train in the singles boat. Yasin secured a job in Vermilion so he could continue to train for rowing while working.

When Coach Walsh was asked if the training paid off, he said, "In August, two provincial coaches came out for a camp and I showed them tapes of Yasin from last fall. When they compared what they saw on tape to what they saw on the water that day, they could not believe it was the same guy! Yasin is truly our most improved student athlete from last year to this year."

In September, the rowing team was able to get out on the water and train. Even though it was not exactly what they were hoping, for it was an opportunity to continue to train in a sport they have developed an incredible passion for. In the winter months, the rowing team will continue to train and compete in online/virtual competitions against other rowing clubs across the province and possibly western Canada. Even though it is not face-to-face, it is the next best thing the program can do.