Payton Gauthier qualifies for junior worlds

Even during a COVID-19 pandemic, athletes can find a silver lining.

Payton Gauthier, a 17-year-old Niagara Falls resident, managed to do just that in his rowing career.

“At first, I thought it would be the end of what was a really important year and I would be unmotivated to look for and find a school but it ended up being one of my most beneficial years,” said the student at Saint Michael Catholic Secondary School in Niagara Falls. “I joined the academy and now I am finding even more potential schools to attend now that I have had this experience and training.”

The Niagara Falls Rowing Club member has been training at the Ontario NextGen Performance Centre in Welland since last September.

“Since I started at the academy, it has opened my eyes to how much work it requires to be able to compete at an international level. But at the same time, I have realized how attainable it is,” Gauthier said. “I have a learned a lot of things about my stroke that I didn’t notice before and now I am able to articulate it a lot better and I am able to correct myself. The coaching staff has been able to help me train this way.”

All that training paid off in a big way recently when Rowing Canada announced Gauthier, Ridley Graduate Boat Club member Shane Keagan, Adrian Breen of the Don Rowing Club, Giancarlo DiPompeo from the St. Catharines Rowing Club would represent Canada in a quad at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from Aug. 11 to 15.

“If you would have told me last year that my first regatta back would be at junior worlds, I would have told you that you were pulling my leg,” Gauthier said.

The selection process for junior worlds started in May.

“We had to submit erg scores to be considered for the trials and when I got the results back and my erg score was chosen to trial I was already really excited because I didn’t expect to make it,” Gauthier said. “To be on the water and have everything going well and then hearing our boat had been selected to represent Team Canada was pretty spectacular.”

He can’t wait to head to Bulgaria.

“I am really excited to just become familiarized with international racing experience and the different environments and levels of competition that I am going to be exposed to.”

Wearing a Canadian singlet for the first time will be a proud moment for Gauthier.

“It has definitely been a dream of mine to  represent the (Maple) Leaf and now that it is actually happening, it is pretty cool.”

Gauthier is the first Niagara Falls Rowing Club member to compete at a world championship for Canada.

“I haven’t thought about that yet but I guess that is true.”

He is hoping it is the first step in a long and successful international career.

“All I can do from here is keep up with the training that I am already doing. As long as I stick with it then hopefully I can trial again for under-23 worlds and ultimately one day make it to the Olympics.”

When the summer is over, Gauthier plans to return for another year at Saint Michael.

“The pandemic made it pretty difficult to go on official visits so I decided to stay back for 12B. Hopefully by then, the borders will be open and I will be able to visit schools.”

He is hoping to get back to the Niagara Falls club in the fall to train in a double for the Head of the Charles and then bounce back and forth in the spring season to pick up some school and summer regattas.

Gauthier has already been in contact with several schools and is leaning towards attending an American university.

“After comparing Canadian and American schools, the rowing programs are a lot better built and accommodate the athlete a little bit more, specifically at a D1 school,” he said. “It also because of the competition and the drive that is there every day at a practice at a D1 school. That will help motivate me to keep up with my rowing and maintain my academics as well.”

Gauthier started rowing with the Niagara Falls club in Grade 8 in a learn to row program.

“Ever since then, I have fallen in love with the sport and its competitive nature.”

In 2019, he teamed with Josh Cournoyea to win silver in the junior men’s double at the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association championships.