Parmigiani Spirit Award finalists; Chan and Brittain

Lawrence Brittain 

From South Africa, Lawrence Brittain is a student-athlete, carefully balancing his prestigious rowing career with full time studies towards a bachelor’s degree in commerce at the University of Pretoria. 

Following in the footsteps of his father and older brother, Brittain first stepped into a boat at the age of 13. He continued to frequent the boat shed throughout high school and now university. Possessing a remarkable talent and an unimaginable drive to work hard have helped Brittain to attain numerous rowing titles: under-23 world champion (2010), under-23 world silver medallist (2011), bronze medallist at the World Rowing Cup II (2011), and member of the winning men’s team in South Africa’s Boat Race.

Brittain is currently a member of the Tuks Rowing Club and captain of the men’s team for the second time. He is described as an inspiration to many athletes and leads by example. He not only helps pave the way for others, but also ensures that they receive the guidance they need to get to the top.

Brittain’s team mate Lee-Ann Persse (South Africa’s women’s pair) says Brittain commands respect from their fellow athletes with a modest and humble approach. She describes Brittain as having “the utmost dedication and respect for the training and preparation in rowing.” Persse notes that Brittain’s commitment and focus is perfectly balanced with his cheerfulness and he is always the first to crack a joke.

Throughout his rowing career, Brittain has faced many challenges, but none has been more testing than his battle with cancer. The discovery of Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer would have caused many to lose hope, but Brittain’s positive attitude was unwavering and his determination to beat the disease never failed.

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Brittain’s coach described the unstoppable determination to survive that Brittain possesses. to break through and to not accept what most other would accept as the end. Even throughout his treatment, Brittain remained involved in club activities; he attended meetings, went on national camp and even built new boat racks for the club. Following his recovery, Brittain competed in the men’s four for South Africa at the World Rowing Cup III and World Rowing Championships this year.

Tsz Wai Chan

Tsz Wai Chan first began rowing in 2004. A native of Hong Kong, Chan fell quickly in love with the sport and began to pursue it at a higher level. She was selected to compete at the World Rowing Junior Championships in 2007. Chan was inspired by her love of sport and decided to study sports science and physical education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong where she began in 2010.

“I was impressed not only by her rowing talent, but also by her determination to improve Hong Kong’s university rowing standards in the long run,” says Director of the Physical Education Unit Lo Yuen Cheong. Chan not only contributed as a member of the team, she also helped to organise training sessions, coach and bring new athletes to the sport. Her experience in rowing has provided her with sufficient knowledge to help adapt the training plan at the university. Her time on the Hong Kong squad, paired with her studies in sports science, has helped her to develop a training programme that proved to be very successful for the university team. Her teammate called it “a breakthrough for the university and a role model for neighbouring universities.”

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“This sport empowers me to be a more confident, responsible and optimistic person,” Chan says. “And it is my greatest desire to help many people benefit from rowing.”

This meant that Chan also started working with disabled children and adults to teach them rowing. She is a coach of the Hong Kong para-rowing team and has helped to raise money for them to compete, using the motto “sports shall be barriers-free.” Chan’s teammates hail her constant determination to share the sport of rowing with as many people as possible and to help each one of them achieve their personal best.

Recently graduated from Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chan continues to stay involved by coaching the Hong Kong para-rowing team and being a mentor for her university squad.