Derek Porter enters the Hall of Fame in the Athlete category for his illustrious rowing career. There may have been a genetic reason for his chosen sport as his father, Hugh, earned a rowing bronze on behalf of the United Kingdom at the 1958 Commonwealth Games. Derek picked up an oar in his second year at the University of Victoria looking for a new sporting challenge and one that might propel him to fulfill his dream of competing at the Olympics. In short order Derek was part of the Canadian Men's Eight Team and soon after that he was standing atop the Olympic podium.

Prior to the 1992 Olympics, Derek rowed in the Canadian Men's Eight at the 1990 and 1991 World Championships, finishing second to Germany each time. But at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the Canadian Men's Eight won gold in a photo finish with the Canadian boat beating Romania by 0.14 seconds.

Derek brings a unique perspective to being an elite athlete as he accomplished world renown for competing both as a member of a team and as an individual. After the Olympics, with most of the team retiring, Derek decided to continue rowing but he turned to single sculls - a change of disciplines that means going from one oar to two. That suited him just fine and in a single year, he became the best on the planet. In 1993, he won the single scull event at the World Rowing Championships, the first Canadian male to win the title in more than 70 years. By 1996 he was one of the favorites at the Summer Olympics where he won silver for Canada.

Following the 1996 Olympics, Porter devoted himself to chiropractic school, and finished twelfth and thirteenth at the 1997 and 1998 World Championships, respectively. In 1999, Porter spent more practice time in rowing and he went on to place third at the 1999 World Championship in the single scull. One of the most anticipated rowing events at the 2000 Olympics was men's single scull. In addition to Porter, it featured two-time World Champion Rob Waddell, defending Olympic Champion and three-time World Championship silver medalist Zeeno Müller, and rising star Marcel Hacker. The race lived up to the hype. Derek finished fourth in the closest Olympic race ever with just over two seconds separating first place from fourth and he retired soon after.

Derek is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions including the International Fairplay Award; Order of British Columbia; twice Victoria Male Athlete of the Year; Rowing Canada Outstanding Service Award, and induction into both the BC Sports Hall of Fame as an individual and team member, the UVIC Sports Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

SPONSORED BY ROWING CANADA AVIRON

Although the 1930s Victoria Y track teams travelled by bus, streetcars and the midnight boat to Vancouver they were still the talk of the town.

Archie McKinnon, athletic director of the YMCA, wasn't as familiar with track as other sports but by helping out at Victoria High school meets he found new talent to form a competitive Y track team around veteran like one-miler, Charlie Cunningham. Among his first recruits were Lynn Patrick, Art Chapman and Joe Addison, who, since his time as a young athlete in the 1920s, had been labelled "a natural." He would go on to lead the Y's great track team, a predecessor for the Flying Y of 1940s and 50s. A year later, Saanich school sprinters, Noel Morgan and Owen Bentley filled out the team.

1932 was an Olympic year and B.C. began a Young Olympians track and field programme with a goal of preparing young men to represent Canada at the 1936 Olympic Games. Seven local YMCA boys, including, Joe Roberts and Bill Thompson showed up when they collected medals. The following year they were joined by lanky Bill Dale running the half-mile events.

The provincial trials for Canada's 1934 British Empire Games team were held at the new Macdonald Park grass track. Although the locals qualified in each race except the 100 yd. dash, only Addison was amongst the 96 Canadians selected to the BEG team going to London and he came home with a silver relay medal.

By 1935 the Y team had a full house with future Grey Cup champion Paul Rowe joining Bruce Humber in the sprints. Combined with Addison, Dale and Cunningham they had solid teams in the 4x100 and mile relays that gathered trophies throughout the Island and collected seven titles at the B.C. Championships.

Addison, Dale and Humber, who was going to school in Seattle, packed their suitcases and went on to the 1936 Canadian finals in Montreal. Young Bill Dale ran the best race of his life to place second in the 800-metre final at those Olympic Games trials. Humber's sprinting speed won him an invite and a silver medal as Canada's relay team placed second in Berlin.

Unlucky, Addison was distracted in the 400 hurdles and crashed. Rain flooded the track for the 400 and his inside lane was particularly bad. It cost him a team position as only first place athletes received tickets to the Olympics while second and third-place finishers could attend at their own cost. That was too much for Addison and Dale, while McKinnon was surely conflicted as he was picked to coach Canada's track team.

The three "fast friends" wound up their careers as the war began. Joe Addison left the Victoria police force to go overseas where he had the toughest luck of all, dying in a plane crash. Chuck Cunningham slowed down, Gladys caught him and they spent married life coaching and officiating youth softball and basketball in the Cordova Bay area. Bill Dale became the Pacific Coast half-mile champion, won gold and silver medals at the 1938 BEG and was a lifelong YMCA member.

(article courtesy Dave Unwin)

SPONSORED BY THE YMCA-YWCA OF GREATER VICTORIA