This article first appeared on RyersonRams.ca on August 25, 2014.
TORONTO – Ryerson Rams rowing alumni Ben Murphy will be representing Canada from September 12-14 at the 13th World University Rowing Championship in Gravelines, France.
Murphy, who rowed with Ryerson from 2009-2011, received the offer to join the team back in May and says he was thrilled at the chance to represent his school and his country.
“I wouldn’t be as involved in the World Cup series or World Championships this year so I took the opportunity to do an international race with a lot of excitement and pride to represent Canada for a second year in a row,” Murphy said.
This is will not be his first time representing Canada internationally. In 2013, Murphy raced at the 2013 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in the men’s single scull finishing 11th overall and finishing in fifth place in the B final.
“That was an amazing experience, getting my feet wet in the international racing world as well as encouraging me to keep training and competing so that I could join the senior national team at the World Championships and the Olympics in coming years,” Murphy said.
At the World University Championship, Murphy will race in a boat with Trent University’s Andrew Stewart-Jones. The pair will compete in the men’s double scull and raced together at the USRowing Elite National Championships in Mercer Lake, New Jersey earlier this year and finished second in the men’s 2x final with a time of 6:54.55. The goal for both Murphy and Stewart-Jones in France is to make the A final.
The winner of the 2011 rowing most valuable player at Ryerson’s annual athletic banquet, Murphy graduated in 2013 with a degree in architectural science.
After graduating from Ryerson, Murphy relocated to Rowing Canada’s national training centre in Victoria, B.C. to train with Canada’s best rowers, some of who competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
He says that his rowing career with the Rams was a big reason to why he has the opportunity to represent his country now.
“My rowing career at Ryerson is without a doubt the biggest influence on my current career as a national team rower,” Murphy said. “It both introduced me to the sport when I started my first year at university and additionally sparked my interest in competing nationally and internationally, quickly becoming one of my top priorities.”
The product of Markham, Ont. will have the chance to compete in front of friends and family next year with the 2015 Pan American Games taking place in Toronto.
For full information on the World University Championship, please visit the event website: http://wuc-rowing2014.com/cmsms_a/