A former 100 Mile House family moved to Cawston last July - parents of a future Olympic contender in the form of Gabe Bergen.
Bergen was part of the Canadian men’s eight rowing team, who won a spot in the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games by taking home a bronze medal in the recent world rowing championships held in Bled, Slovania.
Bob and Marilyn Bergen relocated from 100 Mile House to Cawston last year. They expect their son will be in the area later this month as he takes a break from training.
Canada’s rowers took the bronze with a time of five minutes, 31.18 seconds. Germany won the event with 5:28:81 and Great Britain came second at 5:30:83.
Australia, Poland, the Netherlands and the Ukraine also earned Olympic berths.
Bergen’s father competed in the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics in the rowing pairs event.
Gabe Bergen said his team worked extremely hard this year to meet their goal.
“Personally speaking, it feels amazing to know I have the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games, an event that brings so many countries together.”
Bergen’s team mates included coxswain Brian Price (Belleville, Ontario), Will Crothers and Rob Gibson (both from Kingston, Ontario), Andrew Byrnes (Toronto,Ontario), Malcolm Howard (Victoria), Conlin McCabe (Brockville, Ontario), Jermiah Brown (Cobourg, Ontario), and Doug Csima (Oakville, Ontario).
Gabe Bergen stats
Hometown: 100 Mile House, BC
Birth date: July 6, 1982
Club affiliation: University of Victoria RC
Education: University of Victoria
Interests: Fishing, hunting, trapping, mud bogging, and square dancing.
Key results:
2010 - Fourth in the 8+, World Cup, Lucerne
2009 - Second in the 8+ World Championships - Poznan, Poland
2009 - Second World Cup 3, Lucerne, Switzerland, M8+
2009 - Third World Cup 1, Banyoles, Spain, M4x
2008 - First in the M2+, World Championships
2006 - Ninth in the M8+, World Championships, Eton, England
- With files from Arlene Jongloets, 100 Mile Free Press