New Head Coach for Trent Excalibur Varsity Rowing & Peterborough Rowing Club
From student athlete to head coach, Jessica Reaume returns to Trent
Spending hours training and racing as a competitive rower on the Otonabee River is something that Trent alumna Jessica Reaume ‘05 is very familiar with – this experience is one of the reasons Mrs. Reaume made a perfect choice to take on the role as head coach of both the men’s and women’s Excalibur varsity rowing teams and the Peterborough Rowing Club (PRC).
“Trent Athletics is proud to partner with the PRC in the hiring of Jessica Reaume as our head coach of the Excalibur varsity rowing program,” said Deborah Bright-Brundle, director of Trent Athletics. “She brings tremendous technical strength and has a thorough understanding of the balances that are required by our student-athletes. Jessica is student-athlete focused and performance driven and I know she will be able to take our student-athletes, and the Excalibur varsity rowing program, to the next level.”
Mrs. Reaume, an Environmental Science and Bachelor of Education graduate from Trent, rowed for Trent’s varsity team from 2001-2005. She is trained as a performance coach through the National Coaching Certification Program. Mrs. Reaume started coaching for both the Peterborough rowing club and the Trent women’s team in 2014. She also established the long term athlete development pathway for junior rowing at the Peterborough club.
Mrs. Reaume’s hire follows a successful application by PRC and Trent Athletics for the full time coach salary support program from the Coaches Association of Ontario Quest for Gold program. The program provides education-based subsidies for competitive to high-performance coaches to ensure that Ontario’s developmental and high-performance athletes receive the best coaching possible.
Commenting on her new position, Mrs. Reaume says, “Trent Rowing has been a performance sport at the University for many years. I’m looking forward to being part of that tradition and driving the program forward on the provincial and national stage.”
"We are very pleased to have Jessica as our new head coach of the PRC and Trent University,” said Brian Love, president of the PRC. “She brings very strong knowledge of the sport to the job and seasoned skill in program development and delivery across the full spectrum of rowing classifications. Most important of all as a former Trent University and PRC athlete, she understands the strong competitive nature and community spirit of rowing in Peterborough.”
Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) named Trent as one of five NextGen Hub university partners selected to identify and train high-performance rowers to compete for Canada at the highest levels of the sport. Trent’s storied history of excellence in rowing and its long-standing partnership with the Peterborough Rowing Club were major factors in the designation as an RCA NextGen Hub. The program provides optimal coach-to-athlete ratios, extensive performance planning and enhanced technical coaching capacity.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
Kate Gennings, communications & media relations officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6180 or kategennings@trentu.ca