VICTORIA – Victor Lefebvre isn't afraid to shoot for the stars. Literally. Aside from his goal of making the Olympics, he also dreams of one day becoming an astronaut.That's right, a real-life astronaut.

To most people, these ambitions may seem lofty, perhaps even impossible. But for Lefebvre, they're simply where hard work and a relentless focus are leading him.

Before doing that, however, Lefebvre hopes to win a Canadian University Rowing Championship with the University of Victoria's men's rowing team.

Growing up in Longueuil, QC, athletics were always a family affair. His father was a hockey player, his mother a swimmer, his brother now competes on Canada's cross-country skiing team, and his sister plays soccer at CEGEP. For Lefebvre, competition is a family trade.

Beginning as a swimmer and triathlete, he represented Canada's junior national team before turning his focus to hockey. But when his pro hockey aspirations didn't pan out due to injury, he found himself at an RBC Training Ground talent identification camp, where they flagged his Olympic potential for rowing.

With support from the RBC Training Ground, Lefebvre joined Quebec's development program and began sharpening his skills in a single scull. Over the next few years, he poured himself into rowing, representing Quebec at the Canada Summer Games and grinding away on the erg during the COVID lockdown.

By the time he began studying aerospace engineering at Concordia University, he was training at Quebec's NextGen training centre in Knowlton, QC, about a 1.5-hour drive from campus—a balancing act made even tougher by the commute.

As his skills advanced, Lefebvre realized that if he wanted to pursue rowing at the highest level, he'd need to make a change. He began looking at U SPORTS and NCAA Division 1 programs where he could access outdoor training year-round, learn from top coaches, and move into a bigger boat and be part of a team.  

"That was a challenging time. I was training about 28 hours a week, and the commute was really terrible—something had to change," said Lefebvre.

The solution was UVic. A school known for its strong rowing program and history of sending athletes to the Olympics.

Despite not having an aerospace engineering program, UVic's proximity to BC's NextGen Performance Centre and Rowing Canada's National Training Centre made Victoria a perfect fit. Lefebvre transferred partway through 2022-23, switching his focus from aerospace to mechanical engineering. And while eventually earning his pilot's license is also on his radar (and probably earning a PhD or two), for now, Lefebvre's priorities are on the water.

Almost immediately after arriving at UVic, Lefebvre began training with both the Vikes and the NextGen Performance Centre, diving into new challenges which included learning to sweep. He raced in UVic's varsity eight at the Brown Cup, competed in the men's quad at the PanAm Games qualification regatta in Santiago, Chile, and took on the men's four at the Canadian Henley regatta. Each race pushed him further and refined his technique.

Lefebvre has continued to make dramatic improvements, earning a spot on Canada's 2024 FISU World University Championship squad in the men's 8+ alongside Vikes teammates Giancarlo DiPompeo, Connor Attridge, Kai Bartel, Michael Caryk, Jesse Harold,  Samuel Ree, Quinn Storey, and Sascha Jansen-Rudan. Not long after, he was invited to train at the National Training Centre in Duncan with Project 28—a select group with eyes firmly set on the 2028 Olympic Games in LA.

These days, he's juggling it all: training with the Vikes, taking on captain duties, integrating with the national team, and navigating his studies.

"The leadership group from the Vikes really helped me learn the sport and pick up a new discipline [sweeping], and now a big part of me wants to give back to the program. Last year, I was elected assistant captain, and I think my integration with the national team is a good way to do that and bring what I learn there to the guys."

What comes next may be uncertain, but Lefebvre is set on his course. Whether it's joining Canada's national team with a shot at the Olympics or pursuing aerospace, one thing is clear—he's ready to go the distance.