My name is Tess Friar, and I’m from Tweed, Ontario. I grew up in a very sport-oriented environment and spent most of my childhood as a competitive swimmer, right up until grade 11. When I started university, I decided to try something new and joined the novice rowing team, where I quickly fell in love with the sport.

The following year, I earned a spot on the varsity team and won my first OUA gold medal in the W2x. Since then, I’ve gone on to win two OUA gold medals and one silver, along with a gold at Royal Canadian Henley in the W4x. I also won three gold medals at the Dad Vail Regatta in the W2x, W1x, and W4x. At the Canadian University Championships, I placed fourth in the W1x. In the Spring of 2025, I made the U23 National Rowing Team and competed at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay in August, where I won silver in the W8+ and bronze in the W2x.

I’m currently in my final year of my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Balancing academics with high-performance sport hasn’t been easy, but being a student-athlete has been an incredibly rewarding experience as I continue to train, compete, and work toward becoming a registered nurse.