Orillia's Cedar Wink has rowed her way to Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Wink, 18, began rowing in 2021 to train for biathlon, which combines Nordic skiing and rifle shooting.
"At first, I just liked the cardio," she said. "It was full body and provided a good environment. It was a nice, new competitive thing to start."
In 2022, she began taking her training more seriously and decided to start competing against others in her new sport. However, she was starting several years later than her competition.
"I did feel a little bit behind, but the gap wasn't that big," she said. "Personally, I think I picked a good time to transition."
Wink spent countless hours on the water preparing to compete. Her skills got to the point where the sport began to feel natural to her. She faced "sharp" learning curves in her first few races, but it only inspired her to push for success even more.
"It's been a constant growth ever since. I'm constantly getting better," she said.
During the 2023 Ontario championships, Wink placed second in her event.
"That was the first time I podiumed an event. It was definitely exciting," she said.
The victory made her realize she could take her skills to the next level, especially after she started to draw interest from Division I university programs.
While Wink had several opportunities to consider, she says it was an easy choice to sign with Cornell.
"They are really well known for their engineering program," she said. "The academics were the original draw, and competing in Division I sports has always kind of been a dream for me."
Since moving to Ithaca three weeks ago, Wink says the student-athlete experience has been "amazing."
"There is a super supportive team environment here," she said. "We have high-level coaches, and the school provides a lot of support for athletes."
Competing for Cornell and against some of the top rowers in North America will only help Wink reach her full potential.
"I'm excited to see where this takes me," she said. "I want to go as far as I can with this."
She credits much of her success to Orillia Rowing Club coach Anne Hodkin.
"She's, by far, the reason I'm succeeding," she said. "She's a great coach and is putting together a good program at the Orillia Rowing Club."
Wink also credits her mother, Jackie, and father, Bob.
"Both my parents have been super supportive," she said. "They've helped me get here."
She said she looks up to her father, who is a world-class water sports athlete.
"He's kind of what got me into the sport," she said. "I try to keep him away from the coaching and let my coach do the work, but he's definitely always giving me pointers and little bits of technique."
