London, ON - Three Western Mustangs rowers have been selected to represent Team Canada at the 2024 International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Championships, which will take place from July 4-6 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The FISU World University Championships bring over 10,000 student athletes from all over the world to compete, placing it among the world's largest and most prestigious multi-sport events. The competitions are broadcast to more than 100 countries, and can draw over 300 million viewers.
 
This year, Team Canada will include Mustangs rowers: Gabby Yarema, Sam Stewart and Rachel Weber. Yarema and Weber will be competing in the women's eight team, and Stewart is a part of the men's four team.
 
"It's great to see Yarema, Stewart and Weber continue to pursue their passion for the sport and compete at an international level," said Mustangs Mens Rowing Head Coach, Dr. Dan Bechard. "They were all leaders within our program and great role models. Making international standards is extremely difficult and seeing student athletes reach this level each year shows the quality of our program, and the quality of people we are surrounded by."
 
Women's Rowing Head Coach Dr. Matthew Waddell believes letting the athletes take control is a key method to their success. "We aim to be transparent about the results of physical and technical assessments and what standards are required to achieve high performance goals. From there, we want student athletes to take ownership over their own performance and provide them with the knowledge and support they need to reach their highest aspirations", said Coach Waddell.
 
Weber joined the Mustangs rowing team during the canceled 2020/2021 season, but has gone on to win five gold Ontario University Athletics (OUA) medals, and one Canadian University Rowing Championship (CURC) bronze, silver and gold. Weber also represented Canada at the Under-23 World Rowing Championships which took place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria last July.
 
Yarema started rowing in 2018 after stepping away from competitive basketball due to health concerns, and has been rowing with Western for all four years of her undergraduate degree.
 
"Rowing with Western has exposed me to some absolutely brilliant rowers, both current team members and alumni. The program is incredibly well-supported by its alumni, which means we have access to top-notch equipment and training facilities. When you train twice a day, six days a week, these things really make a difference," said Yarema.
 
"Jane Thornton [recently appointed the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical and Scientific Director] has been an incredible mentor to me throughout my time at Western. She was the first person to ever tell me I could make a national team if I really wanted to. She has been a source of guidance both career and rowing-wise, advice, and support in times of need. I am so grateful that I got the chance to row and talk with her on multiple occasions. She is truly who I aspire to be", said Yarema.


 
Yarema (on the left in photo above) made her first national appearance in 2021, winning a silver medal in the women's pair at the Under-23 Women's Pair. The 2024 FISU World University Championships will be Yarema's first international regatta, and she has been putting in hard work training alongside her FISU teammates with the help of team coach Jane Gumley.
 
"We're all very driven people and we all want to succeed. Our [national] coach, Jane Gumley, is amazing as well. She has done an excellent job of bringing us all together in such a short period of time, and I think we have what it takes to put down a solid race in the Netherlands", said Yarema.
 
Stewart graduated this summer with a Masters of History, and represented the Mustangs with the Rowing team this past year. "I first started rowing in the summer of 2014. Some friends of mine had a family member on the Canadian national team and they suggested I give it a try. I was still growing like a weed at this point and I had recently given up playing football so the sport of rowing seemed intriguing enough. After that summer I joined my high school rowing team and I've been doing it ever since", said Stewart.
 
"Rowing here at Western has helped prepare me for international competition in a numbers of ways. The team works incredibly hard so being surrounded by athletes with a strong work ethic is quite contagious. We also have a very knowledgeable coaching staff backing us up who knows what is required to make that jump from top level university rowing to racing for Canada. Lastly, our generous alumni, many of whom have rowed at the elite level, help provide us with the equipment and knowledge to both make national teams, and achieve success at the international level. It means a lot to me. This was something I wanted to do in 2020 however the pandemic put a damper on my plans so to have finally seen this through, especially after four years, really means a lot", explained Stewart. (pictured 2nd from left in main article photo).
 
Like Yarema, Stewart's training in preparation for the FISU games have been intense. "Our training has been very polarized in preparation for this event. Working with UBC head coach Mike Pearce, he has us either putting in easy long miles or turning up the intensity", said Stewart.
 
Stewart believes leadership qualities such as patience and accountability are important. "Rowing is the epitome of a team sport, so having a lot of patience especially when crews might not be gelling well is critical to future success. I strongly believe accountability is an important piece of the puzzle. When it comes to training sessions, ensuring that everyone is holding each other accountable and putting in the hours is crucial to success both on and off the water", said Stewart.
 
Both Western Rowing Head Coaches wish all of the athletes the very best for their upcoming competition. Coach Bechard encouraged the athletes to hold themselves to a high standard, while Coach Waddell emphasized staying focused on factors within their control. "Everyone at this event, including you, is elite. Walk with confidence and do the small things with excellence. Hold your teammates to that excellence and present your best performance", said Coach Bechard.
 
"Focus on what you can control. Many aspects of international racing can be overwhelming, but they're mostly things you have no control over, like the venue, travel arrangements, competitors, etc. Successful racers ignore such distractions and keep their focus on their own preparation, attitude, and performance", added Coach Waddell.

The Western Mustangs can't wait to watch and cheer on our own at FISU this upcoming weekend. Go Stangs!

Update: Congratulations to our Western Mustangs who medaled at the 2024 FISU World University Championships Rowing earlier this month. Rachel Weber and Gabby Yarema won Bronze in the Women's 8+ and Sam Stewart won Silver in the Men's 4-.