VICTORIA – Kicking off the 2022-23 season, the University of Victoria rowing program welcomed incoming student-athletes, alumni, friends and donors to Centennial Stadium for the christening of four new hulls at the eighth annual Captain's Barbeque.
 
Every September, the Vikes rowing captains begin the competitive season by welcoming the incoming parents and athletes into our community and use the occasion to christen this years new hulls. The naming ceremony is a way of honouring members of the rowing community whose contributions embody the values and traditions of the university, the legacy of the program, and the generous contributions of donors.
 
This year's honourees included Marilyn Brain Campbell, Kevin Light, Doug White and Kevin Neufeld posthumously. 
 

 Read bios here
 
While the tradition of christening new boats is an essential aspect of recognizing greatness within the program, it wouldn't be possible without the unwavering commitment of donors.
 
Members of the 1986 Olympic men's eight were instrumental in fundraising for the Kevin Neufeld, while extensive community support helped purchase the Doug White and the Marilyn Campbell.  
 
This year's event also saw a generous $25,000 donation designated for both men's and women's rowing teams endowments from John Neville, owner of Comox Valley Marina. A major supporter, Neville has helped to establish Neville-Elworthy Rowing Equipment Funds that go towards sustaining the future of the Vikes rowing programs. 
 
"The donors and supporters are the backbones of our community. These invisible champions allow us to walk into our boathouse with the highest quality of equipment, and that enables us to be ambitious to continue the legacy of competing at the national and at the international level," said Aalbert Van Schothorst, men's rowing head coach.
 
The 2022-23 rowing season kicks off on October 8, with the Western Canadian Rowing Championships taking place at Elk Lake, Victoria, BC. The Vikes return to Victoria to race on October 22 and 23, with the Head and Tail of the Gorge event, held on the Gorge Waterway.


Season schedule

Bio

Kevin Neufeld 
Rowing for the University of Victoria from 1982 to 1988, Kevin Neufeld had a distinguished university athletic career. Part of a rowing dynasty at the time, Kevin and his teammates dominated on the local, national, and international stages. Kevin went on to become an accomplished Olympian inducted into the UVic Sports Hall of Fame, BC Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame, Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame and the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.  
 
Kevin was a two-time recipient of the prestigious President's Cup while at UVic —awarded annually to the outstanding student-athlete in their fourth and fifth year who best combines scholastic and athletic achievement.
 
With success at UVic came international attention for the 1983 varsity eight, who acted as harbingers of the Vikes' Olympic rowing tradition. All eight boat members represented Canada at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where three from that crew, including Neufeld, were part of the Canadian eight that won a gold medal beating the United States by 0.4 seconds.
 
Racing as members of the Vikes, the eight won the Canadian University Championship and were undefeated in local regattas. They also placed second at the esteemed San Diego crew classic.
 
Kevin is an integral part of the Vikes legacy that will live on through the current athletes of the program and now through this newly Christened hull. Key contributions for the Kevin Neufeld men's pair come from family, friends and supporters from the 1984 Olympic men's eight.
 
Marilyn Brain Campbell
Marilyn Brain Campbell is a leader in women's athletics, having spent 15 years in sport administration and 12 years in education administration. She is the owner and operator of West Coast Rowing, as well as a 1984 Olympic silver medalist, former national team coordinator with Rowing Canada, and Vikes women's rowing alumna.
 
Over the span of two years in 1981 and 1982, the University of Victoria fielded one of the most successful groups of women's rowers in the program's history. Eleven key rowers spanned this time frame that saw the Vikes win the championship eights titles at the 1981 and 1982 Royal Canadian Henley regatta and the 1981 inaugural and 1982 Canadian University Rowing Championships. Marilyn was a key member of the women's eight named Victoria's Team of the Year in 1981—she went on to be named Victoria's female athlete of the year in 1984.  
 
Marilyn represented Canada for six years at the international level competing in five World Championships, five Lucerne International Regattas and one Olympic Games. She retired from active competition in September 1986 and spent almost nine years, from 1990 through 1999, as a national team coordinator with Rowing Canada.
 
Marilyn played a pivotal role in creating and cultivating the Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society which officially started in 1990 with the purpose of creating an environment that would support high school rowers and their families.
 
She continues to work with the rowing community by providing mentorship to developing coaches, and has played an a crucial role an supporting the Vikes women's rowing program. 
 
Kevin Light II (Alumni, Olympian)
 For the second year in a row, we are recognizing UVic alumni Kevin Light. This year we celebrate by christening the Kevin Light II as the Kevin Light 1 was damaged in a catastrophic accident last season. Kevin cannot be here to accept this honour but has given us the go-ahead to christen this hull in his absence.
Kevin Light began rowing with the Vikes in 1997. While a part of the team, Light competed and medalled at several Canadian University Rowing Championships and represented Canada on
 
the world stage. During his time on the Canadian national rowing team, he took home three gold medals at the World Championships. A two-time Olympian, Light competed in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In Beijing, Light was a member of the legendary men's eight that took home a historic gold medal for Canada.
 
Today, Light contributes to the Vikes and the men's rowing program through his work as a sports photographer. 
 
Doug White 
Doug White began his rowing career as an athlete on the rowing team here at the University of Victoria in 1968. He continued to make an impact on the men's program as an assistant coach, and later as head coach. Doug White is a name tied closely to the Victoria rowing community as well as the history and success of the University of Victoria Vikes rowing program. As an assistant and head coach with the men's rowing program throughout the '70s, and '80s, White coached more athletes to the podium (Olympics, international and Canada) than any other coach in Vikes rowing history.
 
Vital to jump-starting the UVic rowing program, White served as a volunteer coach for the entirety of his career. He went on to coach athletes at the provincial, national and international levels, including the Olympics, Pan Am Games, World Championships and the Royal Henley Regatta.
 
In recognition of his contributions as a coach, Doug has earned many awards including the Shields Coach of the Year, the Medal of Confederation, and RCA International Coach of the Year.
 
Doug's impact on the program goes far deeper than the number of medals won during his leadership and his values continue to be embodied by athletes today.