Bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann qualifies boat for Canada for the Paralympics

World Rowing spoke to Canada’s PR1 Single Sculler Jacob Wassermann, who recently qualified the PR1 M1x for Canada to compete in Paris after capturing Silver at the Continental Qualification Regatta in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Wassermann is a relative newcomer to the sport, a former ice hockey player and one of thirteen survivors of the horrific Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 which left him paralysed. His resilience shone through and Wassermann joined his first rowing club in October 2022. He says, “I started to row by chance, I was just focusing on weight training and ended up running into a friend of mine who said the Saskatoon rowing club in Saskatchewan was putting on a ‘have a go day’. I decided to go give it a try. I really enjoyed the hard work out that rowing on the erg gave me and the group of people at the club were also great.”

Within just two months of starting his rowing journey, Wassermann was encouraged by his coaches to enter the World Rowing Indoor Championships and to compete virtually. He reflects, “It was my first real competition for rowing and I was able to win it.”

With his first world title secured so quickly, Wassermann’s ambitions switched to the water, although the transition took a little more patience, acknowledging, “Getting into a boat for the first time felt really awkward. I had been training indoors on the erg for a few months but being on the water was so much different. Rowing is a very technical sport so it took a while to feel comfortable in the boat. But being out on the river here in Saskatoon is a great place to row. There were also lots of blisters in the first couple of weeks!”

Canada’s national para-rowing team is decentralised, with Wassermann based in Saskatoon training most of the year with his own coach. “The training is pretty intense; my coaches are always pushing me to improve both on the water and in the gym.” Looking forward to his second season on the water, his main focus is to perfect his equipment setup and his technique on the water. “I hope to compete at multiple regattas and just get more experience racing,” he says.

Wassermann must be relieved, as before the Qualification Regatta, he made his goal clear, “to eventually compete at the Paralympics”. However, he is also keen to play his part to grow the sport with more exposure and to make it more accessible. He says, “rowing is a unique sport and in Canada, there are not a lot of PR1 athletes that can compete against each other. I would love for Canada to be able to build a very strong Para rowing programme with PR1, PR2, and PR3 athletes all able to push each other to be better.”

Addressing readers contemplating on joining him, Wassermann added enthusiastically, “If anyone is interested in trying rowing, I would say go for it! It is not an easy sport but can be so worth the effort that it takes. In my experience, the people that I have met through rowing have been so amazing and so supportive.”

World Rowing wishes Jacob Wassermann well as he continues his preparations for a big season ahead.