Support the Calgary Rowing Club Crews racing at Henley 2025

The Calgary Rowing Club Senior Program aims at entering 3 crews to the 2025 Henley Royal Regatta (Tuesday July 1st – Sunday July 6th):

Your support will help top athletes from Calgary to represent Canada at the highest international amateur level.

A bit of history

The Calgary Rowing Club, a Sport for Life community, has been a cornerstone of Alberta’s rowing scene for over 60 years. As one of the largest and most successful rowing clubs in Canada, it offers opportunities for all ages, from 10 to 85+, supporting both recreational and competitive rowers. With a proud history of developing top-tier athletes who have medaled at the Olympics and World Championships, the club remains dedicated to fostering a lifelong passion for rowing. In recent years, the CRC has cemented its place in the competitive rowing landscape by leading athletes to decisive victories at the Head of the Charles and Royal Canadian Henley, while also supplying athletes to the national team for the Pan Am Games, Olympic Games, and World Rowing Championships. Our Henley Royal Regatta pursuits aim to support the up and coming next generation of athletes from the CRC as they shoot for international racing status.

The Royal Henley Regatta, founded in 1839, is one of the most prestigious and iconic rowing events in the world. Held annually on the River Thames in Henley-on-Thames, England, it attracts top-tier athletes and rowing enthusiasts from across the globe. The event spans over five days and features a series of intense races. Its distinctive format, with races taking place on a 2,112-meter stretch of river, and the unique "head-to-head" style, set it apart from other rowing competitions. The regatta’s prestigious reputation is not only built on athletic prowess but also on its strong traditions, elegant social atmosphere, and royal patronage. For a lot of athletes, The Royal Henley Regatta is the first experience at international level.

The Calgary Rowing Club has had a long history of competing at Henley Royal competing in 1987 and 1989 in the men’s eight under the Ladies Plate Challenge and a men’s pair in the Silver Goblets & Nickalls’ Challenge Cup. In 1992, Calgary sent three crews, a men’s single competing in the Diamond Sculls, a men’s eight in the Thames Challenge Cup, and a men’s four in the Wyfold Challenge Cup.

Calgary would finally return to Henley Royal in 2017 after winning three consecutive titles in the open Women’s Senior Eight at the Royal Canadian Henley (the north american counterpart of Henley Royal). Calgary would send the women’s eight to compete in The Remenham Challenge Cup and a quad in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup at Henley Royal. At the regatta, both crews competed hard against crews that, in some cases, were the national team crews, yet they were unable to advance through the first round. Nevertheless, the act of competing at this regatta caught the attention of Rowing Canada where five of the women from the eight were selected to represent Canada at Worlds 2018 and 2019. Two of the women competed in the Olympics in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

After winning the Men’s Senior Four at Royal Canadian Henley for the first time in 20 years, the CRC competed at Henley Royal in the Wyfold Challenge Cup. The four had advanced through several rounds, even making it to the quarter-finals, however, losing to Marlow Rowing Club who ended up winning the cup. This success that Calgary has achieved is truly remarkable coming from the prairies, where the water is often scarce, and the winters are long and cold yet this does not stop them from their determination to win against crews that have the privilege to row year-round.

Why Your Support Matters

The senior program of the Calgary Rowing Club operates on a self-funded basis without financial support from Rowing Canada Aviron and Alberta Rowing Association, our governing bodies. This necessitates athletes independently covering all costs related to training, competition, travel, accommodation, transportation, entry fees, and equipment.

Your contributions are vital to help us reach our fundraising target of $30,000 to offset the cost of the trip.

Estimated cost breakdown:

Meet some of our committed athletes

Carter Cranmer Smith (Open Men’s four)

For myself and most Canadian rowers, Henley Royal Regatta is the first truly international regatta we compete in. While large regattas in Canada attract some international athletes, they are for the most part a domestic competition; they are also dominated by club athletes. Henley is not just a club regatta but a schoolboys, collegiate, and international regatta. The exposure in the boat tents, on the docks, and on the course to some of the top olympic level crews is exceptional. Watching crews of this caliber prepare, compete, and recover opened my eyes to what it takes to make the jump from a club or collegiate level to the international stage.

Personally, competing (and losing) at Henley in 2024 was a wake-up call for my training and preparation for the following racing season. Seeing firsthand the strength, fitness, and skill necessary to win on the biggest stage helped me understand where my weaknesses lay and what I needed to do to improve. I think the opportunity for Canadian rowers to race at Henley is unmatched and a crucial stepping stone in their career. Not only will it help to grow the individual, but it will help grow the sport as they bring back what they’ve learned to the club in Calgary and their university teams. By supporting Canadian rowers in their pursuit of international competition, sponsors and donors play a vital role in bridging the gap between domestic success and international excellence. Investing in these athletes not only fuels their development but also strengthens Calgary’s presence on the world stage, inspiring the next generation of rowers.

Max Pohl (Under 23 Men’s eight)

The Royal Henley Regatta is a very prestigious regatta with many high level crews in all categories. Many of the best rowers I know have competed at Royal Henley and have gone on to accomplish many other great rowing feats. Our goal for the U23 men is to compete and win at Royal Henley to help start our successful international rowing careers.

The U23 men in Calgary have made huge strides in the past couple years to get to where we are today. We went from hardly having any athletes in this category in 2022, to 2024 where we were the only Canadian crew in the U23 eight+ henley final. We also have athletes that have competed at the 2024 worlds, competed collegiately for the best rowing universities in Canada, and medaled at the Canadian National Rowing Championship. The U23 men have been improving and competing at a high level with great results in 2024; our next big jump we need to take is to race at Royal Henley and show that the next generation of Canadian rowers is a strong, competitive class.

Diana Davis and Cecile Ferraro (Under 23 Womens eight)

In the summer of 2024, the CRC sent one of the fastest U23 women’s 8+ to the 140th Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, which is attended by crews from across North and South America. 9 women with the same dedication, grit, and power were pulled together from across the country, with girls from Western University, Carleton University, and the Universities of British Columbia, Calgary, and Lethbridge. The accomplishments of the 2024 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta highlighted below were due to the impressive progression and improvement shown in the 12 weeks leading up to the regatta. Despite coming from schools across the nation, the U23 Women’s 8+ was able to come together as 1 crew for the summer, improving their technique and speed each week, and ultimately showed up as the next generation of CRC’s legacy.

Being typically seen as underdogs, the eight set out in the heat with the goal to make the A final, ultimately not only making the A final but having the fastest time of the 13 crews by 7 seconds. During the final, the girls pushed hard, finishing third with a slim 2 second margin from 2nd and a mere 7 seconds from 1st. The eight then split into smaller crews and once again were seen in the top 3 in their respective events. The U23 women’s four finished 3rd overall, ahead of boats who row together on-water year round compared to Calgary’s mere 6 months. But this women’s team didn’t stop there, with the U23 women’s lightweight pair powering through to a Henley Gold, accomplishing the goals of many Canadian rowers. This was a strong conclusion to the summer season, leaving St. Catherine’s, Ontario with a Henley Gold in the U23 women’s category for the first time since 2016. Despite only having half the on-water time as other clubs across the country, the Calgary U23 women consistently prove not only their resilience and power, but their determination to embrace the legacy. Helping and funding this crew to get to Henley Royal Regatta would show not only to family back home, but to rowing clubs across the country and world wide that Calgary Rowing Club has what it takes to come out on top.

Meet our Coaches

Head Coach Pascal Ferraro: Has 30+ years of rowing experience in both France and Canada. He has been the Head coach of the Senior program since 2018, and led the Mens 4- to a 5th place at 2024 Henley Royal.

Assistant Coach Amelie Schumacher: is a former varsity rower with UBC, Amelie has previously been the Club Manager and a coach with the Calgary Rowing Club, bringing extensive history with athletes of all ability levels. She competed at Henley Royal 2017, finishing 8th in the W8+.

Assistant Coach Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski: is an Olympic Gold (2024) and Olympic silver medalist (2020) in the Womens 8+ for Canada. She is starting her coaching career with the Calgary Rowing Club and bringing her outstanding experience to our crews.