Rowing is not a mainstream sport in Winnipeg, but that did not stop Winnipegger Mike Caryk from competing in the biggest rowing events in the world.
Caryk competed in the Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 16-18 in Boston, Massachusetts. The regatta had 2,662 entries from 843 clubs. Caryk took part in men’s club singles and finished 10 out of 42.
“It was really good to get the opportunity to race so many great rowers from around the world.”
As Caryk was placed in the top 25% in the club single, this meant that he was automatically invited to the race in the following year.
Caryk graduated from the University of Victoria with a bachelor’s degree in physical and health education. In the summer, Caryk worked as a coach at the Manitoba Rowing Association. He is currently enrolled in the education program at U of W.
“No matter how hard school gets or just life outside of rowing, I have a competition and it just keeps me excited,” said Caryk.
In high school at Glenlawn Collegiate, Caryk was a distance runner and high jumper for the track team. However, his mother and his track coach encouraged him to try rowing, so, at age 17, Caryk began rowing.
When Caryk had just began rowing, one of his biggest inspirations was his junior coach, Ed Kornachuk. “He was always there and he always believed in me, and he was always very strict on my rowing technique. He’d always tell me to like to sit up in a boat […] properly. He’s the one who taught me how to row a single.”
Caryk also shared that his next race will either be Elk Lake Spring or San Diego Crew Classic.
These competitions are not his only priority.
Caryk wishes to grow the rowing community in the city. It is his understanding that having more people to train with can lead to a better environment for everybody to improve their performance.
In winter, rowing outside is no longer an option. That’s when Caryk turns to the gym in the Winnipeg Rowing Club.
“We do a lot of work in the gym. We do weights and work on the rowing machine. We’ll do cross-training, which is aerobic training,” he said.
With any sport, there is at least one element which is disliked by an athlete. Caryk, too, has had his toll with the rowing machine. “You get kind of bored with the rowing machine because you do it for multiple years,” Caryk said.
He also added that, especially in winter, training gets hard, but “having teammates to train with makes it more manageable.”
Caryk’s ambition does not end at just growing the community. His goal is to use his education and experience to contribute to a program which supports athlete development. He also wishes to improve the quality of rowing experience for everyone in the province.
Caryk has already started a club in affiliation with U of W. Caryk also expressed that if anyone wished to try rowing, they could contact him through his email, [email protected].
