Diff’rent strokes ahead for Transcona rower

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This article was published 08/06/2020 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Zoe Adam’s collegiate rowing career is beginning in unique fashion but she is taking it in stride.

Soon to graduate from Miles Macdonell Collegiate, Adam has committed to attend the University of Minnesota where, in addition to rowing, she will pursue a degree in nutritional science.

Adam said she came late to rowing, as she did dance and competed in acrobatics until she was 15. Prior to Grade 11, she opted to get into a boat.

“I quickly fell in love with the sport and learned what it takes to be an athlete mentally and physically,” Adam said.

Even though she has only been rowing for two years, Adam has packed her share of accomplishments into that period. In 2019 she attended a camp in Kenora where she got to train with the Western Canada Games team. She also competed in the Royal Canadian Henley regatta.

Adam began emailing an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota who eventually came to watch her practice.

“I was super-nervous and I actually put my oars in wrong that day but after I fixed them it was quite a good practice,” Adam said.

She is taking a positive approach to what has been an uncertain beginning to her collegiate career, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adam said the team has newer coaches who want to build a strong program and she wants to be a part of that.

As for when she can officially train and compete, Adam is taking the long view and finding positives along the way.

“I will admit not knowing how the next school year will play out is a bit scary, but I believe things will eventually fall into place and work out,” Adam said. “This situation has allowed many of the newly recruited rowers from Minnesota to bond over this interesting time as many of us have had our old team environments temporarily taken away and have had our grads postponed or cancelled.

“Due to this, I have actually made some great friends. Without this situation I believe many of the friendships wouldn’t have formed this soon.”

Adam said she could not have grown as an athlete without a solid crew of reporters, especially at the beginning of her career.

“I would like to thank Ed Kornachuk for teaching me how to row and for believing in me even back when I capsized on a weekly basis. Janine Stephens inspired me to make the most out of every practice and always made sure my teammates and I had the tools we need to achieve our goals,” she said.

“My parents also worked hard to fund my training and are my biggest supporters on and off the water.”