The women's eights team poses with their medals

Ashley Brzozowicz

Team Canada Medal Count

Gold medal icon 0
Silver medal icon 1
Bronze medal icon 0

Biography

Ashley Brzozowicz was first inspired by sport while watching the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta with her family. But she never believed she could achieve her own Olympic dream until she was in university, where she helped the Yale varsity eight finish second at the 2004 NCAA Championships. By that time, she had competed at back-to-back U23 world championships in 2002 and 2003. Curious to see how far she could go with full-time training, she moved to the national centre in London, Ontario from New York City, where she had been working. Brzozowicz made her international debut with the senior national team at the 2006 World Championships. Since then, she has competed at two Olympic Games, winning silver with the eight at London 2012 after just missing the podium with a fourth place finish at Beijing 2008. Brzozowicz has competed at a total of seven world championships, winning four medals with the eight (silvers in 2010, 2011, 2014 and bronze in 2015). She took most of the 2013 season off. Although she has competed primarily with the eight, Brzozowicz enjoyed some international success in the pair in 2010, winning World Cup gold in Bled, Slovenia and bronze in Lucerne.

GETTING TO KNOW…

Family: Parents Andrew and Kathleen Ann Brzozowicz… Younger brother Alex Brzozowicz… Husband Roy Dykstra… Cousin John Hastings is a member of the canoe/kayak slalom national team… Getting into the Sport: Started rowing at age 15 while attending Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago… A friend had started rowing and thought she would also enjoy the sport… From her first strokes she loved combination of teamwork, endurance and skill… Outside Interests: Enjoys cooking, reading blogs and checking out books from the library… Interested in agriculture and farming… Graduated from Yale University in 2004 with a degree in art history… Has been accepted into the Massage Therapy program at Fleming College for the fall of 2016… Odds and Ends: Always writes her plan for race day in her training journal… Favourite motto: Leave no doubt…

Olympic Highlights

Games Sport Event Finish
2008 BeijingRowingCoxed Eight - Women4
2012 LondonRowingCoxed Eight - WomenSilver

Notable International Results

Olympic Games: 2012 – SILVER (W8+); 2008 – 4th (W8+)

FISA World Championships: 2015 – BRONZE (W8+); 2014 – SILVER (W8+); 2011 – SILVER (W8+); 2010 – SILVER (W8+); 2009 – 6th (W8+); 2007 – 6th (W8+); 2006 – 5th (W8+)

FISA U23 World Championships: 2003 – 7th (W4-)