Guelph rower Stephen Harris is looking to capture gold for his 22nd birthday in a couple weeks.
Harris is heading to his first-ever Pan Am Games, being held in Chile Oct. 20 to Nov. 5.
"It was kind of surreal," he said, thinking back to the moment he realized he was heading there.
"You're caught up in racing, it kind of hits you, kind of at the last little stretch of the race and you're in a lot of pain so it's kind of a little bittersweet at that specific moment."
That evening, it hit him and Harris celebrated appropriately: pizza and a bottle of wine from Chile.
"I've never been to South America. I'm excited about that, excited about the competition and racing," he said.
"I've raced the under 23 junior world championships before, but those are all very individual sport-based games. This is a multi-sport games, so it's kind of a different experience, and I'm excited and looking forward to that."
The rowing events are pegged to happen Oct. 23 to 25. Harris, the Guelph Rowing Club member, turns 22 on the 24th.
He'll compete in the men's lightweight double and the mixed eight events.
Canada qualified a boat in Chile without Harris last year. Harris was unable to compete because he was recovering from mono.
"Following international racing over the summer, there was a whole series of races that we did," he said. "In-house, three guys raced for two spots. I ended up coming out on top and making the boat. It was definitely a fun bit of circumstances."
It will be the fifth time Harris has represented Canada.
He finished ninth at the world under-23 championships in Bulgaria in July. He captured a bronze medal at the 2022 world U23s in Italy.
Last weekend, Harris won the senior national lightweight rowing title in British Columbia, where he's been living the last few months for training.
Success on the water, preparing for an international competition, all while balancing a school schedule.
The Brock University economics major is just beginning his final year of school, doing courses online until he gets back to Ontario after the Pan Am's.
Once he's done, Harris will fly back to Ontario, just in time to watch his Brock Badgers teammates compete at the OUA championships on Oct. 28.
Two weeks later, there is the Canadian University Rowing Championships.
"I haven't fully decided, and been talking to coaches about potentially competing there," Harris said. "It's undecided. I do potentially hope to race for them at the national championships."
He said there might be time to work him in between the OUA and nationals, and hopes to get the opportunity.
But that's then.
The focus right now is on another opportunity. The Pan Am's, and bringing home some hardware for Canada.
