History is being saluted on Henley course in England
St. Catharines native rowing for Canada in King’s Cup centennial celebrations
Once a West Park Warrior, always a warrior.
Officer Cadet Liam Vickers won’t be rowing for the green and gold of his former alma mater later this week in London, England. Instead, the 22-year-old St. Catharines native and a third-year student at Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston will be in an eight competing for the Canadian Armed Forces in the King’s Cup.
Also featuring military crews from Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom, the event celebrates the 100th anniversary of a race comprised primarily of soldiers waiting to return home from the First World War.
“Australia won it back in 1919, so they’ve had bragging rights for the last 100 years,” he said.
“We’re hoping to take that away from them.”
When it came to mustering who would compete for Canada, the son of Neil and Stefanie Vickers was in the right place at the right time. There are 20 rowers at RMC, and some of them were unable to make the trip to London due to training commitments in Gagetown, N.S., for trade-specific courses.
“I lucked out. I don’t have my French profile yet, so I’m staying here for the summer to learn French,” he said in an interview from Kingston.
“Everything just aligned perfectly, and I get to stay here, and I also get to row.”
Vickers can’t wait for a three-day competition that will be held on the Royal Regatta Henley to get underway Friday.
“I’m just really excited to be on the same water that someone who was in World War I was on a hundred years ago,” he said.
“I think that’s going to be a mind-blowing experience.”
Rowing in the armed forces is regimented — Vickers trains 90 minutes before breakfast and two hours after classes every day — but it also was that way when Vickers competed in high school
“It’s all pretty much the same deal. When we go on the water, it’s not like a big ‘Yes, sir, yes, ma’am’ kind of deal,” he said. “It’s all a big happy family, wherever you go for rowing. “In high school, it was the same deal.” Not everyone on the Canadian boat is an officer cadet. There are also three who recently graduates from RMC, a degree-granting university training military officers. “Rank does not matter in the boat. Absolutely not,” he said. “We all talk to each other like we’re good friends, we’re all buddy-buddy.”
“Rank does not matter in the boat. Absolutely not. We all talk to each other like we’re good friends, we’re all buddy-buddy.” LIAM VICKERS Royal Military College cadet officer
Vickers, who received a full scholarship after graduating from Churchill three years ago, is committed to serving five years in the armed forces after he completes his post-secondary.
“But I kind of like it here, so I will probably stay a full 25 years.”
He is studying civil engineering at Royal Military College in Kingston. His military career path after graduating next year is to become a construction engineering officer after.
“That would be like building the quick little shelters before anyone else gets to a deployment, like Afghanistan,” Vickers said, elaborating on the military applications of the specialty.
“I would be the first one on the ground building all the makeshift little shacks for everyone, and everyone else would get there, and they would build on that.”
The one-time St. Catharines Standard carrier quipped that his roots in sports involve water, though not the kind on which crews could row.
“I was the water boy in football, and I realized that wasn’t really my passion,” he recalled with a chuckle. “I was a scrawny little guy.”
The now five-foot-eleven, 165pounder was “pushed” into rowing right after his foray into football.
He didn’t like the flatwater sport at first.
“It was a lot of erging and early mornings at the gym, but as soon as we got on the water it was a completely different story,” Vickers said. “I fell in love with the sport.”
After rowing on the Royal Canadian Henley course in St. Catharines as a high school student, Vickers is looking forward to competing at the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames, England.
“It’s definitely a once-in-alifetime opportunity. I 100-percent lucked out,” he said. “You can’t get any better than this. I’ve always dreamed of going to the Henley.
“As soon as I started rowing, it was like, ‘Wow, that sounds awesome. I’ve rowed on the Canadian Henley, what’s next?’ ”
The one-time West Park Warrior appreciates that the King’s Cup honours warriors, including many who fought for Canada.
“This is an awesome opportunity to show my respect and support and really make Canada proud.”
His grandfather served on Sword Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and his father served in Somalia with the airborne regiment.