Two-time Olympian becomes hall of famer
Growing up with his family in Port Dalhousie, Andy Van Ruyven received an early introduction to rowing.
“I used to sit up on Canal Street overlooking the rowing and I was amazed and enthralled by the symphony, the simplicity of it, the power and I said to myself ‘As soon as I can, I am going to start rowing.’ You can’t row until you’re in high school and once I started, I never looked back.”
He surely didn’t and he was recognized for his rowing excellence last Wednesday by being inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Wall of Fame.
The 72-year-old Vancouver resident’s rowing resume includes: representing Canada at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and training for the boycotted 1980 Olympics; competing in four world championships; winning gold at the 1975 Pan Am Games in Mexico City and placing fourth at the 1971 Pan Am Games in Columbia; capturing three gold medals in the 1969 Canada Summer Games in Nova Scotia; wins at the 1971 Schoolboy and at the Henley Royal Regatta in 1972; and, victories at the 2001 World Masters Championships, the 2003 Head of the Charles in Boston and the 2010 World Masters Regatta.
Rowing was the perfect sport for one of nine children of Dutch immigrants.
“Thankfully I was endowed with a body that was ideally built for rowing. Tall, lean, and an above average cardio vascular system, with a high tolerance for pain. These physical traits were reinforced with a very solid upbringing which emphasized an ethic of hard work, commitment, discipline, courage and focussing on self reliance while always doing the best you could. Anything less would never be accepted in the Van Ruyven household.”
Rowing would set the stage for his entire life.
“I obtained a university education at Western University that I most certainly would not have had without having been involved in rowing. The incredible life skills that rowing provided, enabled me to have enjoyed a very rewarding career with American Express. Rowing provided me with the opportunity to find my way to Vancouver where I met my wife Bev, of 42 years, and where we have raised a wonderful family. Probably the most enduring benefit, however has been the lifelong friends and crewmates that were instrumental in helping me achieve this success.”
Van Ruyven admitted feeling uncomfortable receiving an individual award for participation in a team sport and made sure to thank all those who made his career possible.
That list includes: Denis Morris coaches Bill Dick and Bruce Erskine; his Canada Games coach Jack Nicholson; coaches Stan Murdza, Neil Campbell and Al Roaf; the St. Catharines Rowing Club, the Old Boys Club, Henley Island Helpers and many more; Rowing Canada and Sport Canada; the 1972 Royal Henley crew consisting of Rick Crooker, Guenter Quast, Rick Symsyk and cox Peter Hoople; his 1973-75 crewmates, Ron (Swede) Burak, Brian Dick, Bruce Carpenter, Bill Van Ruyven and cox Peter Murdza and Bob Choquette; and, his 1976-1977 crewmates, Phil Monckton, Brian Dick and Ian Gordon.
Van Ruyven finished with an incredible resume but lists one of his most more memorable moments as the 2010 World Masters Regatta in St Catharines, where he competed with three of his brothers, Bill, Marcel, and Joe and cox Katie Dirks.
“Each of my brothers has also enjoyed various levels of success at the international level and at this regatta we were affectionately known as the Fo Bro in a Row. We were successful both at Henley and the World Masters with the honour and highlight of having our medals presented to us by our mother.”
He was also involved in the coaching and administration of rowing serving as: a member of the Rowing Canada technical committee from 1981-1984; and as a coach and board member at the Deep Cove Rowing Club in North Vancouver from 1996 to 2012.
Van Ruyven was honoured to be inducted into the hall of fame.
“I will gladly take my spot in this hall along with so many other outstanding athletes, builders and coaches.”
Also inducted last week were Carole Price, Walt Oprzedek, F.F. (Ted) Nelson, Bobby McLaren and Bob Adams.
