Maia du Toit, a member of the Shawnigan Lake School’s Girls Senior Eight rowing crew, will compete in the Head of The Charles Regatta in Boston, the largest regatta in the world, on October 20.
Headmaster David Robertson is delighted with the team’s success. “As their black and gold blades sliced through the glassy calm waters of the lake at 7 am last Saturday morning, it was clear that our two senior eights meant business,” he said. “I am so proud of their whole approach and delighted that their efforts will have such a prestigious showcase so early in the season.”
Du Toit calls Powell River home. She joined rowing four years ago as a coxswain, at the school on Vancouver Island. She wanted to try something new and learn more about the sport. She discovered that it is a completely different world that she had no idea existed. “There is so much about rowing that I enjoy,” she said. “I love to bring out my competitive side in races, and the satisfaction of hard work paying off is unbeatable. The friendships made within the crew are also so special. We get along really well and those eight girls are amazing, on and off the water. Watching the beautiful sunrise on Shawnigan Lake doesn’t hurt either.”
Initially, entries to this regatta are secured by a top placement from the previous year. The rest are drawn out of a hat by pure chance. This is the first time Shawnigan has entered as a school, and both crews were accepted. The crews will spend most of their Thanksgiving break training and ironing out any final kinks before flying out early Wednesday for Boston.
“Shawnigan has created my passion for rowing,” said du Toit. “In the future, I would love to go to Queen’s [University] in Kingston and I would definitely consider exploring the coxing options there.”
When asked what life lessons rowing has taught her, she said, “Rowing has taught me an incredible amount. Through my experiences, I have learned about responsibility and how to deal with high pressure situations. Rowing has also shown me what it takes to win. Behind every success is hours and hours of hard work, but it pays off and the results are worth the sacrifices. I have also learned a lot about teamwork and what we are capable of when the entire crew can connect with each other.”
Rowing is one of Shawnigan’s flagship sports. One of the main goals of the school is to develop the whole person, on and off the water. Each student’s hard work embodies all aspects of Shawnigan life and thus many of Shawnigan’s rowers receive scholarships to top-notch universities in BC, Ontario and the United States.
“The rowing crews work incredibly hard on a daily basis to be the best they can be,” said Tim Coy, director of rowing at the school. “But since we formed these two crews to go to Boston just six weeks ago, their hard work, determination and passion have intensified. I am so proud and thrilled for them all.”
The experience these students will gain from this regatta will be second to none, he said, and the memories will no doubt last a lifetime.
