Since joining the University of Victoria Vikes men’s rowing team this past summer,
Alex Walker has been a rookie to watch. Starting off with the Western Canadian University Rowing Championships in October, the first-year rower won two gold medals, one in the lightweight double (with partner
Lee Hall) and one in the lightweight men’s coxed four.
After another stellar performance at the Head of the Gorge regatta, hosted by UVic, Walker headed into his very first Canadian University Rowing Championships in November looking to continue his streak and the rookie rower did not disappoint. Winning by an impressive six seconds in the lightweight doubles, he brought home the team’s lone gold medal. On the heels of this win, Walker helped the Vikes to earn a silver medal in the lightweight men’s coxed four. Walker was crucial in getting the UVic men to second place at the Championships, just one point shy of first-place Brock University.
In the week following the CURC, partnering once again with Lee Hall, Walker competed at the National Rowing Championships in Victoria. Racing against several athletes from both Canada’s under-23 national team and senior national team, the twosome brought home a silver medal in the under-23 lightweight men’s pair and a bronze medal in the senior lightweight men’s pair.
Walker is heading into the winter training season with his eyes set on the under-23 national team and he is already on Rowing Canada’s radar. Recently, Walker was one of three lightweight rowers from B.C. that were invited to a national identification and development camp for potential national team athletes.
