About

Our Team

The Calgary Rowing Club is powered by dedicated coaches, staff, and board members who support our athletes and programs every day. Their commitment and leadership shapes the experience of every athlete who joins us and helps make our Club a place where everyone feels encouraged and supported.

Program Leads

Lead Coach, Para Program

Jess Stewart

Lead Coach, Para Program

Jess Stewart

Jess started rowing in 2008 with the Victoria City Rowing Club competing at Royal Canadian Henley and Head of the Charles. She attended Oregon State University and competed in the varsity 8+ all four years. She represented Canadian at the 2016 Mega World Championships in the U23 women’s 4+ and won the 8+ in the Canadian University Championships in 2017 with UVic. After stepping by away from rowing, Jess coached with Vic City before coming to Calgary. She now coaches at the CRC in the Para, Masters, and Senior programs.

Lead Coach, Masters Program

Laura Kirk

Lead Coach, Masters Program

Laura Kirk

Laura Kirk began rowing in 2015 with the Fort Langley Youth Rowing Society and later competed for SFU from 2019-2023, serving as Club President from 2021-2023. In 2023, she worked with Rowing BC in membership development before shifting her focus to coaching. Laura has coached masters since 2018 and joined the CRC Masters program in May 2024. She embraces a sport-for-life philosophy and is passionate about getting people of all ages and abilities on the water. Fun fact: SFU named a double “Captain Kirk” in her honour. Off the dock, she’s a journalist and bartender who loves exploring new restaurants with friends.

Lead Coach, Senior Program

Pascal Ferraro

Lead Coach, Senior Program

Pascal Ferraro

Pascal is more than a coach; he’s a dedicated mentor and Lead Coach of the Senior Program at CRC. Beginning his journey in France, before cell phones or the internet, he learned the sport’s core truth: everyone starts somewhere. He believes erg scores are secondary to the person pulling the handle. Having rowed and coached at every level, from nervous novices to World Champs and PanAm athletes, he knows the mental commitment required. Pascal’s role is to unlock each athlete’s potential, fostering respect, resilience, empathy, teamwork, and the occasional yell—developing powerful rowers and well-rounded individuals ready for life’s challenges ahead.

Lead Coach, Junior Program

Alex Marchuk

Lead Coach, Junior Program

Alex Marchuk

Alex is the Junior Program Lead Coach at the CRC. She has been involved in rowing as both an athlete and coach for over 20 years. Alex is responsible for all things in our Under 19 programs and is passionate about developing young rowers, providing them an environment where they can be recreational to performance level athletes. She is also the Alberta Rowing NextGen Lead and has coached athletes to the U19, U23 and Senior World Championships. When not rowing, Alex spends as much time as she can in the mountains with her dog Henley (who we love having around the boathouse).

Assistant Coaches

Assistant Coach, Senior Program and UCalgary Dinos

Claudia Reisinger

Assistant Coach, Senior Program and UCalgary Dinos

Claudia Reisinger

Claudia is a returning Dinos alumni who started rowing at the Calgary Rowing Club. Throughout her career, she has competed as both a lightweight and a heavyweight, also representing Team Alberta at the Canada Summer Games.

Passion and love for the sport has brought her back, this time in a coaching position. She brings technical knowledge, positivity, and dedication to the UCRC.

Strength and Conditioning Coach, Junior Program

Julia Hill

Strength and Conditioning Coach, Junior Program

Julia Hill

Julia was born and raised in Calgary, where a love for sport and the outdoors shaped her early years. She grew up competing in cross country skiing, mountain biking, and volleyball, and she still seeks out new adventures whenever possible. Rowing entered her life as a novice in her first year of university, and she has been fully committed ever since. Julia continues to pursue her passion through a degree in Kinesiology and by coaching junior strength and conditioning and on the water at the CRC. She is dedicated to creating a fun, welcoming, and safe environment for all athletes.

Assistant Coach, Senior Program and UCalgary Dinos

John Ross

Assistant Coach, Senior Program and UCalgary Dinos

John Ross

John Ross is a Development Senior Team Coach with the Calgary Rowing Club and an Assistant Coach with the University of Calgary Dinos. A former competitive rower with both McGill and Queen’s university programs, John brings valuable high-performance racing experience to his coaching. Since stepping into the CRC community, he has worked with senior novice and development athletes, helping them build technical skill, confidence, and consistency. Passionate about learning and growing as a coach, John is committed to fostering a positive, challenging environment that supports athlete progression and strengthens the connection between the Dinos and the broader Calgary rowing community.

Assistant Coach, Masters Program

Michael Simonson

Assistant Coach, Masters Program

Michael Simonson

Michael Simonson is an Assistant Coach with our Masters program at the Calgary Rowing Club and a highly respected leader within the Canadian rowing community. In 2016, he was named Coach of the Year by Rowing Canada Aviron in recognition of his outstanding work with club and university athletes. With over a decade of coaching experience at CRC, Michael has shaped generations of senior rowers through his commitment to excellence, fair play, and athlete development. A former Team Canada competitor, he brings national and international experience to his coaching, fostering respect, sportsmanship, and lifelong growth both on and off the water.

Assistant Coach, Junior Program

Danae McCulloch

Assistant Coach, Junior Program

Danae McCulloch

Danae is still adapting to the indoor rowing reality of Calgary, but her rowing journey started far earlier. She discovered the sport in 2013 at Club d’Aviron Vésenaz in Switzerland after a soccer injury changed her path and she’s been hooked ever since. After nearly a decade of rowing in Victoria with Victoria City Rowing Club and the University of Victoria, she moved to Alberta and joined the CRC in 2023. She now coaches both juniors and adults, bringing a love for the sport to every session. Outside the boathouse, she stays active running and triathlon training, fueled by her own baking of course.

Assistant Coach, Junior Program

Jackie Blunt

Assistant Coach, Junior Program

Jackie Blunt

Jackie began rowing at the Argonaut Rowing Club in Toronto where she competed as a junior before racing for Western University during her undergraduate degree. She later continued her rowing career at the University of British Columbia while completing her master’s degree. In 2024, Jackie represented Team Canada, winning a bronze medal at the FISU World University Championships in the Netherlands. After ten years of rowing, Jackie moved to Calgary and became involved with the Junior program. She loves encouraging the juniors to find the joy in every hard session and brings her dog Marshal to cheer the juniors on during practice.

Assistant Coach, Senior Program

Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski

Assistant Coach, Senior Program

Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski

Kasia is an Olympic Champion who came back to the Calgary Rowing Club because apparently “retirement” doesn’t mean stepping away from the boathouse, it just means yelling from the launch instead of the boat. She’s trained for years at the highest level, competed internationally, and won medals her friends keep insisting she should put on display instead of leaving in a sock drawer. When she’s not coaching, she can be found erging by choice, which has raised a few eyebrows. She’s thrilled to coach at CRC, mostly because they continue to let her use the megaphone.

Assistant Coach, Senior Program

Amelie Schumacher

Assistant Coach, Senior Program

Amelie Schumacher

Amelie Schumacher has been part of the CRC community as both an athlete and coach since 2015. She has coached across every program—Senior, Junior, Club, and Para—working with rowers from Novice to High Performance. A former CRC Senior athlete and UBC Rowing alumna, she now serves as Assistant Coach for the Senior program and Head Coach for Dinos Rowing. Amelie also previously contributed as the club’s manager, supporting CRC’s growth behind the scenes. Off the water, she devotes her time to raising service dogs and exploring local trails, bringing the same dedication and care to everything she does

Staff

Club Manager

Claire O’Brien

Club Manager

Claire O’Brien

Although Claire is a born-and-raised Edmontonian, they started rowing as a walk-on with the UCalgary Dinos when they were a student, and they haven’t looked back. As the Club Manager at the Calgary Rowing Club, Claire is the “go-to” person for most things at the CRC, whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete. They are passionate about building a welcoming and inclusive community where rowers of all levels feel supported. When not at the rowing club (a rare occurrence), Claire can be found riding their bike, knitting, and telling fun history facts to anyone willing to listen.

Administrative Assistant

Hannah Anderson

Administrative Assistant

Hannah Anderson

Hannah Anderson is the Administrative Assistant at the Calgary Rowing Club and a dedicated member of the club’s Senior High Performance program. She began rowing with the University of Calgary Dinos in 2014 and has competed at Royal Canadian Henley, Canadian University Rowing Championships, Canadian Speed Orders, and National Rowing Championships, earning gold and bronze medals at Head of the Charles. Hannah recently completed her PhD in English at the University of Calgary, specializing in creative writing and sports literature. A committed mentor and advocate for athlete retention, she is passionate about fostering an inclusive, supportive environment within the CRC community.

Equipment Manager

Ali Webster

Equipment Manager

Ali Webster

Ali Webster has served as the Equipment Manager at the Calgary Rowing Club from since 2021, overseeing maintenance and repairs for a fleet of more than 70 rowing shells at one of Canada’s largest rowing clubs. Ali independently identified and led facility improvement projects including the introduction of standardized chemical safety protocols and an MSDS database as part of the club’s health and safety committee. Known for high-quality fibreglass and carbon fibre repair work, Ali also developed a detailed damage and repair tracking system while training and supervising apprentices and volunteers to ensure efficient, safe operations.