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Hall of Famers

Hall of Famer

Kirsten Barnes

Inducted in 2013

Member Details

Date of Birth: March 26, 1968
Place of Birth: London, United Kingdom
Sport: Rowing
Member Category: Athlete

Career Highlights

1987

Gold medal, women’s coxless pairs, Pan American Games in Indianapolis with Kathleen Heddle

1989-91

University of Victoria Athlete of the Year

1991

Gold medal, women’s coxless fours, World Rowing Championships in Vienna

Gold medal, women’s eights, World Rowing Championships in Vienna

1992

Gold medal, women’s coxless fours, Olympic Games in Barcelona

Gold medal, women’s eights, Olympic Games in Barcelona

Hall of Famer Kirsten Barnes
Sport

Story

Winning a gold medal at the Olympics is hard.  The ability to remain calm and focus throughout one’s match or race can mean the difference.  The 1992 Women’s Olympic Gold Medal Rowing Team - Coxless 4 comprised of Kirsten Barnes, Brenda Taylor, Jessica Monroe-Gonin, and Jennifer Walinga, did exactly that.  A day before the competition, Walinga was forced to withdraw from the competition due to injury.  The team remained focused, trusting that Kay Worthington would be able to continue the success and keep the chemistry of the crew.  The substitution of Worthington into the crew was so seamless that it resulted in the crew winning Olympic gold in the Women’s Rowing Coxless 4 event.

The crew understood that the Olympic gold medal they won that day was not just won on the day of the race, but through the training and competitions leading up to it.  Walinga was an essential part of that preparation and deserved an Olympic gold medal as well.  As such, Taylor sacrificed one of her two Olympic gold medals that she had won at the Olympic Games and donated it to Walinga; recognizing the fact that the crew could not have won the gold medal without her.  Their situation was less than ideal but they were determined to succeed.  The united determination of the five women bonded them as they handled their challenges.  In the end, their determination, focus, trust and sacrifice would define them as one of Canada’s best rowing crews ever.