Olympic medalist Barney Williams of Salt Spring Island, B.C., today announced his retirement from the Canadian National Rowing Team.
Thirty-year-old Williams is best known for his Olympic silver medal as part of the men's four in Athens in 2004, a race that was lost to the British by only .08 of a second. He also won the World Championships in that same event the year before, and is a two-time (2005 and 2006) Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race winner (rowing for Oxford University). Williams also attended Upper Canada College and University of Victoria.
Married to National Team rower Buffy Williams (they have one son), Williams' goal is to enter the sports broadcasting field.
"The first priority is spending some time with my awesome son, Tavin, and supporting Buffy in her pursuit of another Olympic medal," he said. "My family and Buffy's family have been so supportive over the past 10 years, and I am looking forward to the opportunity over the next few months to strengthen the relationships that have been largely maintained by telephone while I have been rowing."
Williams joined the National program in 1997 as part of the Under-23 team, but first learned to row in high school. "With this decision comes the opportunity for me to thank the incredible collection of coaches who have assisted me in pursuit of the podium at each level - Phil Monckton at Upper Canada College, Howie Campbell at UVic, Sean Bowden at Oxford University, and Volker Nolte and Mike Spracklen at Rowing Canada," said Williams.
"On behalf of Rowing Canada, I would like to thank Barney for his contributions to the sport," said Rowing Canada Aviron's VP High Performance, Phil Monckton, who once coached Williams. "On a personal note, I have known Barney since he was a 15-year-old high school rower so it has been a pleasure watching him advance through his rowing career. Of particular note is his effort in the four's race at the 2004 Athens Games, which was one of the most memorable races in Olympic history. I wish Barney all the best in his future endeavours, one of which will be supporting the Olympic efforts of his wife, Buffy."
Williams thanked those who have made his rowing career possible: "This is a chance to acknowledge the special network of individuals and corporations who have enabled to me to pursue my dream far longer than I could have on my own; these include Kevin Reed at Grey Horse Capital, Adrian Woodley at Nike Canada, Leonard and Jimmy Carson at Suburban Motors, and Terry Swan at Jones Emery. I am very grateful to Jane Roos and the Canadian Athletes Now Fund for the substantial support of myself and my teammates. Finally, I want to express gratitude on behalf of Buffy and myself for the incredible support we have received from Rowing Canada Aviron, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Sport Canada as we have attempted to balance parenting and full-time training. I wish the Canadian team the very best in the run up to Beijing and beyond, and am confident that they will be very successful given the dedication and passion they have displayed over the last three years."
I have been blessed with such a rewarding career and to have forged several life-long friendships. The sport has provided me so much more than I ever would have imagined when I first arrived at Cherry Beach on Lake Ontario at 5:30 am one cold morning in March 1992. Of particular note is the opportunity to complete a Master's in Management Studies at Oxford University. While highlights are truly too numerous to list, representing Canada in Athens on the biggest stage in amateur sport in front of so many friends and family is hard to top."