Darrin Austin

As a life-long athlete himself, Darrin is ideally suited to his involvement with the Shawnigan sports program. While Darrin hopes that his Shawnigan teams will all enjoy winning records, he is equally committed to instilling in our students a love of athletics that will inspire active and healthy lives. Darrin and his family (wife Wendy and son Matt, now studying at Waterloo), lived on campus for many years, where Darrin served as both House Director and Assistant House Director, most recently in Duxbury House. He also teaches math and science and coaches basketball and tennis. Originally from the Okanagan, Darrin came to the Island to earn degrees at the University of Victoria. He particularly appreciates Shawnigan’s well-rounded approach to education, which allows students to be athletes, artists, and scholars. While this same philosophy poses occasional challenges with students simultaneously starring in the musical and training for national rowing competitions, for example, it helps create interesting and talented people. Darrin sees the many benefits of this approach in his own son, whose Shawnigan career was marked by a commitment to jazz band and the musical, a love of sports, and a remarkable academic career which saw him earn a Governor General’s award for his achievements.