Rowing Canada Aviron Announces 2020 NextGen Coaches
Announcement/ Feb 12

Rowing Canada Aviron Announces 2020 NextGen Coaches


With the flatwater rowing season just around the corner, Rowing Canada announced on Wednesday the coaching assignments for the 2020 NextGen teams.

Eight Ontario-based coaches were named to the NextGen coaching staff. The coaches will work with RCA’s NextGen World Championship, CanAmMex and FISU teams this year. A total of 14 NextGen coaches were named.

The coaching team selected for the 2020 World Rowing Senior, U23, and Junior Championships and Senior Non-Olympic Tour programs consists of Carol Love (RCA NextGen HUB Lead Coach/Trent University/Peterborough Rowing Club), Dane Lawson (RCA NextGen HUB Coach/University of Western Ontario), Greg Szybka (RCA NextGen HUB Coach/Brock University), Isolda Penney (Victoria City Rowing Club), Janine Stephens (Manitoba Rowing Association), Maksym Kepskyy (RCA NextGen HUB Coach, University of British Columbia), Pat Cody (Row Nova Scotia), and Samantha Heron (RCA NextGen HUB Coach, University of Victoria).

The 2020 CanAmMex team will be coached by Katie Bruggeling (Queen’s University/Kingston Rowing Club), Lisa Kates (University of Calgary), Mary Rao (Brock University/St. Catharines Rowing Club) and Zachary Lewis (Ottawa Rowing Club/University of Ottawa).

Finally, the coaches for the 2020 FISU team will be Bob Ward (University of Western Ontario) and Mark Williams (University of Toronto). Lisa Kates and Zachary Lewis have been named as additional coaches pending team size.

“We are excited by the calibre of the coaches who expressed interested in supporting the 2020 RCA NextGen program,” said Chuck McDiarmid, RCA NextGen Program Lead. “We have a number of returning coaches with international experience, as well as some new faces taking their first steps along the High Performance Coaching Pathway. We have some unique opportunities this year to create dynamic coaching environments, and we are looking forward to working with these coaches to develop exciting training opportunities for athletes that allow them to achieve their performance goals.”

The CanAmMex team will have the home water advantage as the event will take place at Fanshawe Lake in London, Ont. from July 12-19, the 2020 World Rowing Championships will be hosted in Bled, Slovenia from Aug. 16-23, and the FISU World University Rowing Championships takes place in Zagreb, Croatia from Aug. 27-29.

2020 World Rowing Senior, U23, and Junior Championships and Senior Non-Olympic Tour

  • Carol Love – RCA NextGen HUB Lead Coach/Trent University/Peterborough Rowing Club
  • Dane Lawson – RCA NextGen HUB Coach/University of Western Ontario
  • Greg Szybka – RCA NextGen HUB Coach/Brock University
  • Isolda Penney – Victoria City Rowing Club
  • Janine Stephens – Manitoba Rowing Association
  • Makysym Kepskyy – RCA NextGen HUB Coach/University of British Columbia
  • Pat Cody – Row Nova Scotia
  • Samantha Heron – RCA NextGen HUB Coach/University of Victoria

2020 CanAmMex Team

  • Katie Bruggeling – Queen’s University/Kingston Rowing Club
  • Lisa Kates – University of Calgary
  • Mary Rao – Brock University/St. Catharines Rowing Club
  • Zachary Lewis – Ottawa Rowing Club/University of Ottawa

2020 FISU Team

  • Bob Ward – University of Western Ontario
  • Mark Williams – University of Toronto
  • Lisa Kates – University of Calgary (pending team size)
  • Zachary Lewis – Ottawa Rowing Club/University of Ottawa (pending team size)