Grace VandenBroek, a fourth-year Business Administration student (Gzowski College), is no stranger to the podium. The Rowing World Championship silver medalist competed at the OUA Rowing Championships in October, returning to Trent with a gold and silver medal in hand.
Her performance there, along with an incredible season, earned the Douro-Dummer local her second consecutive title as an OUA Rowing champion.
"Watching Grace compete and grow as an athlete during her time at Trent has been such a pleasure for faculty and coaches at Trent Athletics," said Sarah Batley, assistant director of sport and student engagement for Trent. "Trent Excalibur is very proud that for the second year in a row, Grace has been named the OUA Female Rower of the Year. We look forward to seeing what Grace is able to accomplish in the next phase of her rowing career."
With medals in hand, Grace headed to the Canadian University Rowing Championship (CURC) with a boost in confidence, earning a silver medal in the women's 1x race.
"I have had a very successful fall leading to the end of my undergraduate degree and winning the OUA female rower of the year award was a very nice note to end on," said Grace VandenBroek. "Rowing is a sport that takes enormous dedication and there are many athletes across the province that deserve the recognition, so I am very grateful to be receiving this award for a second year. Trent Rowing and my coaches have been amazing supports throughout my time at Trent and I am grateful to have them in my corner. My time at Trent has been very fulfilling and I look forward to seeing what comes next."
Grace placed fifth in the Women's single at Rowing Canada National Championships on November 13 and won gold as the fastest U23 competitor.