A special celebration is set for Kenora’s hometown hero and Olympic silver medallist Abby Dent
The city and rowing club will honour the Olympian on Tuesday night.
Dent was part of the Women’s Eight rowing team at the Paris games, and helped capture a silver medal for our country.
She started her rowing career as a member of the Kenora Rowing Club (KRC) and Manitoba Rowing Association (MRA), and later competed for Team Manitoba and earned a bronze medal at the 2017 Canada Summer Games.
“In Abby’s early days with the KRC, she always showed up to practice on time with a positive attitude, respect for her coaches and crewmates, and determination to try her best at each workout,” said Jenn Cano, KRC Vice President. “After seeing her compete in her first regattas, we knew she was going places.”
Dent has since achieved numerous accolades, including gold medals at regattas and championships, including gold in both the Junior and Women’s Single Scull in the Women’s U19 Double at the 2018 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.
Since graduating high school, Dent has been rowing with the University of Michigan where she won gold and helped the team win the Big Ten Championship. In 2023, she was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year.
Allison Gervais, Executive Director of the MRA, shares her appreciation for Abby, noting, “the entire MRA community is extremely proud of all of her accomplishments!”
Mayor Andrew Poirier commends her performance, emphasizing that “this outstanding achievement has filled our community with immense pride and serves as an inspiration to all aspiring athletes. We are grateful for her dedication and the honour she’s brought to our city.”
The celebration will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kenora Rowing Club, located at 110 Birchwood Cresent in Garrow Park.