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VICTORIA - In her first year at the University of Victoria, Avalon Wasteneys tried out for the Vikes novice rowing program, embarking on a journey that would eventually lead her to compete in the Olympic Games.
 
Seven years later, with Wasteneys in the stroke seat, the Canadian women's eight rowed their way to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics ahead of top-ranked New Zealand, China and the USA.
 
Heading into the Olympic final as the underdogs, Wasteneys felt confident that a medal was within reach if they performed as a team the way she knew they could.  
 
"We had the perfect balance of belief and trust in our team to be completely ready to have our best race. I thought, if we could have that Olympic sparkle, we could win," said Wasteneys. "We stayed calm and conserved our energy throughout the prelims knowing it wasn't time yet; sitting at the start line during the final event that adrenaline finally hit, and for the first time, I felt that we were about to potentially make history."
 
According to Vikes assistant rowing coach York Langerfeld, Wasteneys has always had that Olympic sparkle.
 
Early in her rookie season, Langerfeld saw something special in the young novice, who had no previous rowing experience before joining the Vikes.
 
"You will row the women's pair at the Tokyo Olympics," he told the 17-year-old, whose natural talent was evident from the beginning.   
 
While he was wrong about the boat, Langerfeld's premonition proved accurate. Wasteneys did row in the Tokyo Olympics, helping the women's eight climb back atop the podium after a 29-year drought.
 
"I think in the back of my mind, the Olympics was always a goal of mine, but I didn't want to say it out loud or put pressure on myself. UVic rowing was instrumental in my journey—the team environment pushed me when I needed it most and set me up for future success."
 

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Wasteneys, who grew up a competitive cross-country skier, entered the sport of rowing a novice but with an athletic pedigree positioning her for greatness. Her mother, Heather Clarke, competed in the coxed four at Seoul 1988 and her aunt was a member of the women's eight at Los Angeles 1984.
 
Following an eerily similar trajectory, Wasteneys' rowing career is much like her mother's. Clarke missed her first Olympic appearance when Canada boycotted the Moscow Games. When the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics was announced, it seemed almost serendipitous, and Wasteneys viewed it as a silver lining—a shared experience with her mom.
 
While Wasteneys first Olympic Games may have looked different than expected due to pandemic restrictions, she believes it was exactly what she needed to have the performance she did. For the former Vike and her eight teammates, they had the Olympic sparkle when it mattered most.
 
"It's absolutely surreal. We executed the perfect race and actually achieved what we've been dreaming about for years. I'm honestly so excited to share this medal with Canada and the communities who helped make this possible." 
 
Wasteneys will spend the rest of the summer exploring Vancouver Island before returning to UVic in the fall to finish up her degree in psychology.