ItB次元官网网址檚 hard to believe Barney Williams was anything but a sure thing as the next coach of the UVic Vikes womenB次元官网网址檚 rowing program.
Williams has been part of the Vikes alumni family for decades, having rowed for UVic between 1995 and 1999. And now heB次元官网网址檒l stay a Vike for life.
On Tuesday the former Olympian and national team coach was introduced as successor to Rick Crawley, who has now retired from the womenB次元官网网址檚 rowing program after 35 years.
Williams was introduced to a room full of Vikes rowers, administration and family by none other than the president elect of the Canada West university athletic conference, Clint Hamilton, the director of the Vikes athletics.
B次元官网网址淚 have big feet but Rick left big shoes to fill,B次元官网网址� Williams said. B次元官网网址淚t was a rigorous [hiring] process and IB次元官网网址檓 certain weB次元官网网址檙e off on the right foot.B次元官网网址�
At 41, Williams fits the Vikes model. HeB次元官网网址檚 a family man, with Tavin (12), Kyla (8) and Tate (6), and he not only brings his own Vikes legacy but shares one with his partner Buffy (nee Alexander). Buffy also rowed for the Vikes and went on to win an Olympic medal, when she won bronze for Canada in the womenB次元官网网址檚 eights.
Williams won silver at the 2004 Olympics in the coxless four. He inherits a program that earned 11 Canadian University Rowing Championship banners, 23 Brown Cup wins, 92 Canadian Henley titles and sent 29 Vikes to the Olympics, all under Crawley.
The coaching bug grew on Williams during his spell with Rowing Canada and the Row to Podium program, when he spent 2011 to 2016 at Elk Lake. He spent the past year as interim head coach of womenB次元官网网址檚 rowing at NCAA Div. 1 Cornell.
That year at Cornell was transformative, and proved he wanted to be a coach.
B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址orking with student athletes over the past few years in the Row to Podium, my role was as their athletic coach, thereB次元官网网址檚 a real disconnect there,B次元官网网址� Williams said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a really tricky aspect to try and balance in terms of respecting their academic interests but not having a vested interest in their academics.
B次元官网网址淣ow as a collegiate coach I get to support both interests and champion their growth as a human being and not just as an athlete. It started to come home to me as a great fitB次元官网网址� Love to see medals around peopleB次元官网网址檚 necks and banners hanging from ceilings B次元官网网址� but ultimately I want to see growth.B次元官网网址�
Williams competed for the Vikes from 1995 to 1999, graduating in business administration and went on to study at Oxford University, where he was president of the Oxford University Boat Club. He was then member of the Canadian national rowing program for seven years and won a World Championship in 2003 and an Olympic silver medal in Athens in 2004.
Vikes win on world stage
Third-year Caileigh Filmer is in a break-out year as she and national team crew Hillary Janssens in the womenB次元官网网址檚 pair won a World Cup silver medal in Lucerne on Saturday (July 15), adding to their gold medal performance from World Cup 1 in Belgrade, Serbia in June.
Two more Vikes, current athlete Avalon Wasteneys and alum Rebecca Zimmerman won silver in the womenB次元官网网址檚 eight in Lucerne.
