The Western Mustangs varsity rowing team has a long history of cultivating driven, dedicated, and high-achieving athletes. Olivia Calbeck, a fourth-year student at Western University, exemplifies all of those qualities and more. This summer, she's representing Canada at the FISU World University Games, competing in the women's 4-.

For this standout rower, choosing Western wasn't about just one factor. "I was heavily involved in academics, athletics, community service, and the arts throughout high school, and I knew I wanted to pursue all of these passions in university," she said. "Western stood out to me because of its strong academic programs, athletic teams, and countless other opportunities to get involved with outside of the classroom. My mom and grandmother are also graduates of Western University!" she shared proudly.

Since joining the Mustangs rowing team in 2021, Calbeck has developed into a key contributor on the varsity roster. "I joined the Western rowing team as a novice in my first year of university in 2021. I had no previous experience in the sport but quickly fell in love with it. The program, as well as my coaches and teammates, helped me to develop my skill and fitness rapidly, and I was fortunate enough to progress to the varsity team in my second year."

Her growth and success have been remarkable this season. "One of my proudest moments this season was increasing my training volume to match the intensity of my racing goals," she explained. "Racing internationally requires a step-up in training hours, which allowed me to hit a personal best on my 2k erg test. This opened the door to compete for a spot on the FISU team. Off the water, I am proud of how I balanced the demands of being in medical sciences and excelling on such a high-level varsity team."

That dedication has paid off with results on the national stage. "A highlight of the fall season was winning the bronze medal in the pair at the Canadian University Rowing Championships with my 2- partner, Kira Mels-Williams." Calbeck shared. "We dedicated the larger part of our fall season to working on the boat and consistently competed against some of the top pairs in Ontario. Reaching the podium at CURCs was the most rewarding experience and showed how much our persistence and dedication paid off."

Now, her focus is on the international stage—the FISU World University Games, currently underway. "My goal with FISU is to put my best foot forward at every practice and race and represent Western with pride," she said. "I hope to learn from the experience of competing internationally, and push myself in a high-performance environment, racing alongside other incredibly talented athletes."

When asked about the keys to a successful season, Calbeck emphasized unity, resilience, and incremental progress. "Rowing is the ultimate team sport. A successful season depends on setting clear goals and committing to the process together as a team. This sport not only takes an incredible amount of physical fitness, but also mental grit and resilience to commit to every practice and race. At Western, we value the goal of getting just 1% better each day. In the 4-, we strive to end every practice with our best strokes and improve something with each session, setting us up to have our best shot at a successful season."

Her time as a Mustang has been nothing short of transformative. "Being a Mustang has shaped so much of who I am. The opportunity of representing Western and Canada at FISU is something I always dreamed of since my first day of learning how to row on the novice team. I couldn't have done it without the endless support from my coaches, teammates, and the Western Rowing community."

As her remarkable journey continues, the Western Mustangs community will be proudly cheering her on. Calbeck is set to compete in her heat on July 25, 2025, at 5:42 a.m. EST. UPDATE: Day 1 of FISU rowing is in the books, and the Women's Four are into Sunday's final, July 27, 2025.

Results: FISU World University Games 2025 Results - Sport - Rowing