Nadine Jensen overlooks instruction on a RS Cuba boat.
The new North Bay Rowing Club invites would be rowers and sailors to come out and ‘Try It’ on clean Trout Lake.
The club partnered with the Shells & Sails team, part of Row Ontario, for the “Get out on the Water” campaign.
Organizer Nadine Jensen says the Nipissing Rowing Club has been established for 2 years now. "We've had two years of students competing at the OUA (Ontario University Association) development regattas."
Now Jensen and other avid rowers are expanding into a community program. Jensen does it, “For the love of rowing.”
“I rowed at University and loved it. We have beautiful waters here to keep rowing. Ideally, we would like to see the program in the high schools and offer programs in the summer.”
The beautiful waters of Trout Lake have spawned many successful rowers in North Bay.
Jensen explains who is behind the new North Bay Rowing Club. “Brian Siebert was part of the national team, Nestar Russell and Dean Haye are from Nipissing University, Rob Matthews, Larry Lanctot, Alexandra Lacarte, who rowed with the junior national team, Sandy O’Grady, and Zach Pecore.
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Zach Pecore has been part of the Nipissing University Rowing Team since last year. Pecore, who has recently changed his major to Business Administration with a focus on marketing, was a competitive paddler with the North Bay Canoe Club before an injury sidelined him.
“I missed being competitive and being on the water. It’s a different set of muscles so I’m able to do it.”
Pecore explains that both in rowing and paddling, you really need to be in sync with your team mates. The boats are really tippy in different ways. Canoeing, you are on one knee; kayaking you are sitting down; and then in rowing, you are on a sliding seat.”
“If you are looking for a challenge and you want to be out on the water, Trout Lake is beautiful and clean.”
“Trout Lake is the only lake out of all the canoe clubs that you can drink the water out of the lake. Animals live around it. You don’t see a clean lake like this when you are visiting the other canoe clubs.”
Sandy and Dr. Kevin O’Grady, parents of Olympic bronze medal winner Diane O'Grady, were keen observers at Olmstead Beach on Sunday. Sandy told the story of helping a team with a flat tire the day of their daughter’s race in the 1996 Summer Olympics. As fate would have it, they turned out to be the competition.
O’Grady is still enthused about rowing. “It’s good to see the children take an interest.”
The chance to try out rowing on Trout Lake continues Monday at the North Bay Canoe Club on Lakeside Dr.
Contact [email protected] if you are interested in joining.
