Al Morrow, 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
Al Morrow, BA’72, is an accomplished rowing athlete, Olympian, and one of the most respected coaches within the Canadian and International Rowing community. Some might say Al is Legendary.
He began his rowing career in 1965 with the Hamilton Leander Boat Club and he continued to row at Western University, University of British Columbia, and the St. Catharine’s Rowing Club. During this time, he represented Canada on the national team 6 times, earning a bronze medal at the 1975 Pan American Games and he ended his rowing career as a member of the 1976 Montreal Olympic team.
Soon after the ’76 Olympics, Al became head coach of the men’s rowing team at UBC, and then head coach at the University of Victoria in 1978, building the program into a national powerhouse with 18 UVic athletes named to the 1984 Canadian Olympic rowing team. In 1990, Al was named head coach of Canada’s women’s national team, a role he held until 2005 coaching athletes to remarkable success: eight Olympic medals (four gold, one silver, three bronze) and 15 World Championship medals. He coached at nine Olympic Games in total until 2016.
From 1988-2010, Al led Western University women’s rowing program to numerous Canadian University Rowing Championships, firmly establishing Western as a dominant force in rowing. In all, Al Morrow’s athletes have won a combined 25 World Championships and Olympic medals from 1991 to 2016.
Al helped lead Rowing Canada’s Coach Mentorship Program, offered educational clinics and regularly invited aspiring coaches and athletes to the national training centre which was housed in London from 1985 until 2018. His generous sharing of knowledge and time profoundly shaped generations of Canadian coaches and rowers.
Known for his humility and tireless work ethic, Al could often be found helping at the boathouse by cutting the grass, setting up buoy lines and maintaining the boathouse —all without fanfare. Even in retirement, he has remained active in the sport, teaching coaching courses, coaching youth at camps, volunteering at regattas and helping introduce coastal rowing to Canada.
Al’s outstanding career has been recognized through numerous honours, including the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal and being named the International Rowing Federation’s Coach of the Year in 1999. He is a member of ten halls of fame, including the Canadian Sport Hall of Fame and Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. He is a respected, calm leader, known for his wisdom, integrity and guidance.
Al’s rowing journey was shared and supported by his wife Julia (also a Western alum and Varsity rower) and their four children Claire, Gregory, Stefan and Marisa (3 of 4 who are Western alums). Claire and Gregory had outstanding careers at Western in volleyball and basketball respectively. Julia and Al are now the proud grandparents of Claire’s two children.
