Kicking off the 2023-24 season, the University of Victoria rowing program welcomed incoming student-athletes, alumni, friends and donors to Centennial Stadium for the christening of three new hulls at the ninth 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 year's 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.

"It's important to honour the legacy of those who have made significant impacts to our program and in our community. We've got these boats, and when they go down the lake, they embody the program's values; they embody what we want our student-athletes to aspire to be," said Aalbert Van Schothorst, men's rowing head coach.

This year's honorees included distinguished rowing alumni Mathew Szymanowski, Lisa Robertson, and former assistant coach Scott Feddery.

"The boat christenings that I've been to have consisted of Olympians like Gabe Bergen or legends, like Howie Campbell. So when Aalbert mentioned he wanted to name a boat after me I was honoured but it felt unearned with respect to the colossal legacy of those guys," said Szymanowski.

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Mathew Szymanowski (Alumnus 2014-2018)

Mathew Szymanowski, affectionately known as Shim, was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, where he first learned to row at the Cambridge Rowing Club. After his initial learning curve, Szymanowski transferred to Ridley College, where he graduated as a decorated high school rower in 2014, winning a triple crown at CSSRA's, Stotesbury and SRRAs, before accepting an offer to row and study engineering at the University of Victoria (UVic).

Rowing for the University of Victoria from 2014 to 2018, Szymanowski had a distinguished university athletic career. He won a Canadian university national title in the men's eight and three Brown Cup titles on top of various gold, silver and bronze medal performances at CU's and Western CUs and National Rowing Championships. An accomplished athlete, Szymanowski also represented Canada at the 2018 U23 World Championships in Poznan, Poland, in the men's quad.

During his time at UVic, Szymanowski was a disciplined and hard-working student-athlete. When he went off for an eight-month co-op, he took the time to train on the ergometer and cross-train in cross-country skiing. He came back to crush out a sub-six-minute erg score, showing that he had wasted no time.

After completing his rowing career at Uvic, Szymanowski transferred into the world of cycling, joining the Victoria Wheelers Cycling team and working at Oak Bay Bikes.

In August 2019, Szymanowski was hit by a motor vehicle while out for a training ride. He suffered punctured lungs, broken ribs and a C5 spinal cord injury. The ICU at Vancouver General Hospital treated his initial injuries before being transferred to the GF Strong Rehabilitation Center for initial physiotherapy. Szymanowski moved to Toronto in January 2020 to be closer to his family.

The rational approach to problem-solving and making a plan forward, known as "Shim logic", that Szymanowski displayed as a student-athlete at UVic, has helped inspire everyone around him as he forges ahead on the road to recovery. 

The testament to his commitment to his friends is evidenced by how many of his crew mates are here today and further evidenced by the establishment of Shim's Ride in 2020. Shim's Ride annually brings together the riding and rowing communities to raise money for spinal cord injuries. 

Szymanowski is currently completing his education in biomedical engineering at Ryerson University.

The men's four/quad was christened in honour of the tenacity, dedication to excellence and commitment to hard work that embodies. The boat has already won its first races, most recently in Szymanowski's event. The hull won its inaugural final and a back-to-back repeat in the men's 4- at the Royal Canadian Henley.

Scott Feddery (Former Assistant Coach)

Feddery's journey to coaching began in 1996 as a student at Queen's University when he was asked to coach a junior women's high school crew that eventually won the Canadian High School Regatta. His passion for coaching took root early on as he embarked on a remarkable career that has impacted many along the way.

In 2007, Feddery and his wife Jennifer ventured to Victoria, setting the stage for his tenure as an assistant coach with the women's rowing program. His initial role as a spectator in a coach boat was a mere precursor to the impactful role he would assume as the coach for lightweight women in the winter of 2008.

Feddery's coaching prowess manifested over the next few years, and just two years after joining UVic's coaching staff, he helped lead the women's lightweights to three consecutive Canadian University Championships in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Among these achievements, the year 2011 stands out as a highlight where he coached the lightweight women to a Brown Cup title before continuing to the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta where, along with the men's crews, UVic won the efficiency trophy before capping things off with national banner that fall. 

Feddery's coaching philosophy stands as a cornerstone of his approach. He believes in the power of technical excellence, ensuring that each athlete becomes a proficient rower. His commitment to fostering growth is exemplified by his honest and constructive feedback, which guides athletes toward improvement.

In Feddery's own words, his coaching mantra is elegantly simple: "show up, work hard, and get better." This ethos encapsulates the dedication and effort he instills in his athletes, forging a pathway to excellence.

A graduate of Parkland Secondary, Lisa Robertson discovered her love for rowing at UVic when she joined the novice rowing team in 1979. A talented athlete, she quickly ascended the ranks, becoming an integral member of the women's rowing team as a sweep for the women's eight, four and pair.

Some of her many accomplishments include winning a BC championship in the women's 4+ in 1980, a feat that marked the beginning of her ascent to greatness. This victory was a prelude to a string of dominance from 1980-83, where she helped the women's team secure three Canadian University Championship titles, three Canadian National titles, and two Canadian Henley Regatta titles, among many others. 

Robertson also represented the Vikes on the world stage, most notably as a member of Team Canada in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she helped the women's 8+ to a fourth-place finish. She won a bronze medal at the 1985 World Championships in Duisburg, a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1986, and competed at the World Championships in Nottingham that same year.

Robertson has been teaching ESL at Camosun College since 1989 but remains a dedicated member of the rowing community by volunteering her time as an umpire at local and national regattas. Her journey from a novice rower to world champion and now esteemed umpire is a testament to her unwavering love and commitment to the sport.