It was a good day on the water for Skylar Presch and the Women’s 8 Rowing team, as they won their 2000 metre sprint heat at the Canada Summer Games and have advanced to the finals.
The medal race is scheduled for Thursday, just before noon at the Kenora Rowing Club.
“B.C. is usually a really strong rowing team so I think we’re pretty confident that we have a good chance at making the podium,” Presch said.
The team that will be representing B.C. at the Canada Games raced at the BC championships in early July after rowing together for only a couple days.
Presch said the team really came together at the pre-departure camp last week.
“Every time we go out we tend to make progress, it’s a really nice thing to see,” he said.
Presch described the role of the coxswain as the strategist of the team.
The coxswain monitors the rowers’ technique and gives them information including their position in the race. Presch said he is also generally responsible for steering the boat, but on the 2000 metre sprint steering is largely unnecessary.
Presch moved away from Salmon Arm when he was five-years-old but still lists it as his hometown.
After moving to Seattle, Presch became involved in rowing with the Green Lake Crew six-years-ago.
Presch has been a coxswain since his second week of rowing practice because he says he is a little small to be a rower.
He said he owes a lot of his success in the sport to the coaches at Green Lake.
“It’s a really really strong program, it’s been around for about 70 years, my coaches down there were really good coaches. they helped me become a better athlete and leader,” Presch said.
Presch recently travelled to England as coxswain for the Green Lake Men’s team to race in the Royal Henley Regatta and the Thames Challenge cup.
