Author Archives: Patrick Okens

The sun never sets on U of T rowing


Posted by Patrick Okens
  • Deb Cumming, Hanlan Boat Club, Toronto. Deb’s a member of the first ever U of T women’s crew. She still rows.
  • Joanna Kidd, Centre Island, Toronto. Joanna, our first-ever women’s stroke. Here with our first ever coach, Ned Hanlan.
  • Jeany Ellis, Argonaut RC, Toronto. A fixture in the Toronto rowing community.
  • Can a pic possibly be more blue!? Argonaut RC’s Ian Spears, Kate Cochrane, Jeany Ellis, Julia Toljagic, Larry Marshall, Matt Miller
  • Mark Williams, Argonaut RC, Toronto. Coffee and contemplation on the balcony overlooking Lake Ontario.
  • Mateusz Zurowski, Humber River, Toronto
  • Andrew Bellerby, Credit River, Mississauga, Ontario. A mainstay in U of T Mississauga rowing and the Don RC.
  • Claire and Julie in Leander BC red!
  • Julie Winterburn and Claire Hutchinson, Hamilton, Ontario. Egregious 5×5 minute pieces, followed by some light reading.
  • George Gage, Hamilton, Leander Boat Club
  • Brad Ingleton, Orillia, rowing for Chinook.
  • Robert Haag, Gravenhurst, Georgian Bay RC
  • Diane Barr, Gravenhurst, Georgian Bay RC.
  • Alumni meetup, Ottawa RC. This gang covers nearly 50 years of U of T rowing. Standing: Brigette Walenius, Alex King, Youssef Choudhri, Stefan Matiation, Suzanne Ernst. Kneeling: Ian Colqhoun, Robert Boraks, Lauren Richardson, Kalyna Kardash.
  • Katherine DuGarm, St. Paul, Minnesota. Taking a book for a ride along the Mississippi River.
  • Robert Stewart, Whistler, British Columbia
  • Ming Tsai, Wendy Cook, Michael Koehle, Whistler, B.C.
  • Tamara Kronis, Vancouver Island
  • Kate Cochrane-Brink, Henley-on-Thames, UK. Kate’s a rare Toronto/Oxford ‘Double Blue’.
  • Rui Xu, Henley on Thames. All class by our all-time lightweight men’s erg recordholder.
  • Lynellyn Long, Stephanie Calhoun, Thames RC, London, UK. Lynellyn’s a member of the original U of T women’s crew, Stephanie is a recent graduate.
  • Saurabh Sharma, San Carlos, California. Blazer and unisuit. No one wears it better!
  • Fiona Milne, Albert Park Lake, Melbourne Australia,
  • Jacqui Williams, Canberra, Australia. Book and gum trees.
  • Dean Hay, Tokyo, Japan. Dean splits his time between North Bay, Ontario and Japan. He does not actually live at the Higashi Fushimi Inari Shrine.


    Blues Before Sunrise: Rowing at the University of Toronto


    Posted by Patrick Okens

    This gallery contains 2 photos.

    It was cold, dark, and awful. And they were hooked! I wrote a book! Blues Before Sunrise: Rowing at the University of Toronto (published by U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education) is about how passion transforms young people, one frigid morning at a time, on Lake Ontario. In this distinctive sporting community’s […]