News Archive

From the Head of Shawnigan Regatta in late November to climbing and basketball competitions this week, the last few months have seen a great deal of success for Shawnigan’s teams and athletes in a variety of sports.

 

After a break of several years, the Head of Shawnigan Regatta returned in late November with strong results from the host rowing crews.

 

The early-morning fog burned off as the sun rose in the sky, and although the Shawnigan team had some members unable to compete due to illness, the School collected first-place finishes in the U19 boys’ single (Steven D.), the U17 boy’s eight, the U15 boys’ and girls’ coxed quads, and novice girls’ quad, as well as a second-place finish in the U19 boys’ double.

 

Staff members got into the act as well, with Mrs. Julie Platt joining a masters four crew that posted a brilliant time, and Mr. Travis Gronsdahl placing second in the masters single on raw time. A team of administration staff taking part in a health and wellness rowing initiative placed second in their women’s quad race.

 

In all, five clubs took part in the Head of Shawnigan, with a total of 49 entries.

 

Ducking down through a low door in the Shawnigan Sportsplex, you find yourself in a new environment: a space where students and other members of the Shawnigan community can feel safe while challenging themselves physically and mentally and escaping the busyness of life at Shawnigan to focus on one thing.

 

Welcome to the Kameda Climbing Centre. Built in a repurposed squash court – hence the low door, which was intentionally left as it was to give the feeling of entering a completely different place – the Climbing Centre replaces a climbing wall in the Larsen Gymnasium for which accessibility was an issue as climbers couldn’t be in the gym when basketball teams were practicing, for example, and climbing groups had to go off campus two or three times a week. The new facility also allows for two climbing disciplines – bouldering and top rope – whereas the old wall was only built for top rope. Top rope uses a rope and a harness for higher climbs and requires a partner, while bouldering involves shorter climbs on lower walls with mats for climbers to land on if they fall.

 

“We had the idea of using the old squash court space so students could stay on campus, and also so people who are not in adventure sports or the Outdoor Leadership and Development Club would be able to use it,” explained Outdoor Education Coordinator Ms. Jessica Dick.

 

The Grade 8s in Samuel House aren’t up for points in the inter-House standings, which are strictly for the senior Houses, but they still take part in the competitions, which are such an ingrained part of boarding culture and do so much to bolster House spirit.

 

At inter-House rowing last Saturday, the Samuel House boys ended up winning, and would have taken the most points if they were eligible. The strong crop of Grade 8 rowers actually had their team in the lead in the early going, but ended up blowing the other teams out of the metaphorical water – inter-House rowing is contested in the gym on erg machines – with the help of athletes from Rowing Canada’s national team. On the girls’ side, Strathcona House was able to hold off the combined Grade 8/Rowing Canada team.

 

Thanks to a formal partnership between Shawnigan and Rowing Canada Aviron, the national team athletes train regularly on Shawnigan Lake out of the School’s boathouse. Rowing Canada also has a training space in the Sportsplex, full of high-end equipment that Shawnigan students have access to. The national team rowers can frequently be found enjoying a coffee in Duke’s Café after their training is over.

 

December had most students looking forward to going home for Christmas Break, but several of our accomplished student-athletes had other thoughts as they prepared to travel to other parts of Canada and the globe for high-level competition in a variety of sports.

 

 

Prior to Christmas, Joelle K. became a national champion in squash, winning the U17 girls’ title at the Squash Canada 2025 Canadian Junior Open in St. Catharines, Ontario. Although the field consisted mostly of players a year older than her, Joelle didn’t lose a single game, and outscored her opponents 165-68. From Ontario, she travelled straight to Philadelphia for the US Junior Open on December 20-23. In Philadelphia, Joelle went in as a 9-16 seed (out of 108 competitors in the U17 bracket) and won her first three matches, including an upset of the No. 8 seed, to reach the round of 16. She was ousted from the tournament in an intense match with the No. 1 seed.