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Rowers reflect on Olympic experience
Friday August 22 2008
By MIKE RAWN Banner Staff Writer
 
Eight-tenths of a second.
In the blink of an eye, Orangeville’s Sarah Bonikowsky and her Canadian women’s eight rowing teammates lost out on a bronze medal to Romania. The United States placed first, with The Netherlands claiming the silver medal.
Despite the heartbreak, Bonikowsky is pleased with her team’s effort.
“We did the work right. The Dutch crew that sprinted into a silver medal went 1:28 on their final 500 metres. This was as fast, if not faster, than any first 500 any of the women’s eights have rowed all year. They had a truly spectacular finish, and I don’t feel cheated because I know our race was awesome too. I can’t say it wasn’t disappointing to just miss out on a medal, but there are more than just three steps on the way to the podium. Right now we are standing on the fourth, and that’s an incredible achievement for us, especially having qualified late this year.”
Bonikowsky described her Olympic experience as “amazing.”
“After the [medal] race, my brother sent me an email and told me that the camera panned to me after we’d crossed the finish line, and he said that I looked ‘tired but happy’,” Bonikowsky says. “That meant so much to hear. Being able to smile after missing the podium by 0.8 of a second is important to me. You have to know why you love what you do, and you have to love the race regardless of the result. Respect yourself for all of your accomplishments, and know what you want for yourself, and what you want others to remember.”
Bonikowsky, 25, will now focus her attention on academics, where she will begin a master’s degree in occupational therapy at the University of Western Ontario. But she hasn’t left rowing behind.   
“I’m hoping to work in the Paralympic movement, by helping people to transition into adaptive sport,” she said. “I haven’t ruled out the 2012 Games by any means. As soon as I crossed the finish line in fourth, I thought, ‘Next time, I want gold.’  I’d also love to race the pair internationally.”
Caledon’s Cameron Sylvester competed in the lightweight doubles rowing with partner Douglas Vandor. Sylvester’s first Olympic Games started off on a high note, with a first-place finish in their heat. That turned to disappointment in the semifinals, when they finished sixth in their race. However, unforeseen circumstances led to the poor race, as Vandor was sick and threw up before, during and after the race.
“In the warm-up I think we were both trying to ignore the fact that Doug was feeling ill, and were trying not to let it affect our performance, but within the first 500 metres it had become rather clear that Doug’s condition had turned out to be more serious then either of us had expected,” Sylvester said.  
“Despite the final results, Beijing has been a great experience and has only wet my pallet, and ignited the little flame inside that says ‘I want to be the fastest in the world.’ Seeing four other Canadian crews finish in medal-bearing positions really proved that this dream can come true.”
Sylvester, only 22, hopes to compete in the 2012 Games in London and possibly in 2016. The confidence he’s gained from this experience will help as he eyes a podium finish in four years.
“Eight months ago, I was training for the National Rowing Championships, in hopes to be selected for the Canadian Olympic selection camp,” Sylvester said. “Six months ago, I was training to make the lightweight double. Two months ago Doug and I were training to qualify for the Olympics. In just eight months, we’ve managed to get this far. I think with our eyes set on gold for the next four years, it will become a very tangible goal.”