Sixteen-year-old Brooklyn Schwab will represent her home province in the upcoming Canada Summer Games in Niagara in August, but her journey to this point did not come without some sacrifices along the way.
Schwab had to make the tough decision to give up not only ringette, but softball as well, both of which she had been playing competitively since she was five years old.
Schwab said that saying goodbye to ringette was less of a blow, as she had lost the spark for the game, but softball was tougher to drop.
“It was one of my favourite sports that I’ve played,” said Schwab. “It’s just such a nice community, so it was hard to leave some of my friends, and to leave the game itself. I miss being out at the diamonds.”
Schwab knew that rowing would have to be a full-time commitment, in order to qualify and compete at the highest level.
And now that the Summer Games are approaching, the Regina representatives of the Saskatchewan Rowing Team have been full steam ahead in preparation.
“We’ve been training 11 times a week. It’s been quite a lot but it’s worth it to be going and representing Saskatchewan,” said Schwab.
Schwab is not the only rower from Regina that will be representing Saskatchewan at the Games.
She will joined by three athletes: 20-year-old Connor Dodds, who started rowing in 2021 at Brock University and won gold in the lightweight men’s doubles at the Ontario University Athletics Championships in 2021; 17-year-old Lily Jedlic, who started rowing at the age of 12, competed on the Junior National Team at 14, and is now coxing for Team Saskatchewan; and 19-year-old Ellen Marion, who was the Saskatchewan Rowing Association Junior Female of the Year in 2021.
Schwab is looking forward to travelling to another province for the Games, and getting to race against formidable competition, but she is also looking forward to mingling with the other athletes.
“Since COVID, we had to stay separated from all of the other teams in the last regatta, so it will be nice to meet new people and see their experience through the sport as well,” said Schwab.