The women’s double sculls team of Kieanna Stephens and Grace VandenBroek piloted their boat to a bronze medal at last week’s World Rowing Junior Championships in Lithuania.
Stephens, of the Burnaby Lake Rowing Club, and VandenBroek, from Peterborough, Ont., found themselves
chasing South Africa in the final, and briefly claimed the lead after the 500-metre mark. Great Britain and Germany would both pull ahead, as Canada held on for third place. It was the duo’s first world championships.
“Despite our lack of time in this sport, we knew that we were capable of doing something amazing,” said Stephens, who only started rowing last year. “The only question was, how amazing?”
An accomplished athlete in softball and hockey, Stephens only took up rowing last year, and is coached by Rowing B.C. head coach Rob Richards.
“It was a very hard race, we came out fast,” said VandenBroek. “We knew we had to hold on and we had a really good chance for a spot on the podium. We both still have a year of juniors left, so we knew it was going to be very challenging, but we just laid it all out there.”
