Adam Kreek
Vice Chair
Athletes’ Commission
Adam Kreek has been an executive member of the COC’s Athletes’ Commission after elections that followed the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
A self-described “positive realist,” Adam has spoken to over 100,000 people across North America on topics of leadership, teamwork and change management. Adam is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, and his upcoming book explores key techniques to maximize personal potential, thrive in team settings and constructively deal with uncertainty.
Adam has studied human performance, achievement, and wellbeing for over a dozen years. After a disappointing loss at the Athens Olympic Games of 2004, he powered his way to a gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. During his 13 year rowing career, Adam won over 60 medals, 27 in international competitions, with 43 of these being gold medal or first place performances. Adam was named Athlete Leader of the year at the 2010 Canadian Sports Awards, a lifetime achievement award presented to an individual who has provided outstanding contributions to sport as a leader advocate, change agent and builder.
Adam is co-owner and serves on the Board of Directors of Grease Cycle, a Vancouver Island based organization that collects and processes waste vegetable oil, and produces sustainable Biodiesel for local consumption.
Adam is immensely involved in his community. He is an elected member of the Canadian Olympic Committee Board of Directors and Athletes Commission, where he promotes the benefits of sport across a broader Canadian society. He is an Ambassador for Right to Play, an international non‐profit organization that uses play to rehabilitate youth in disadvantaged regions of the world. Adam is a Board Member of Clean Air Champions and speaks to groups across Canada about the benefits of taking care of human and environmental health. Adam also serves on the Board of Directors of the Island Biodiesel Coop and is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the BC Biofuels Network. He is a Big Brother, with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, a Team Power Smart Leader with BC Hydro and a representative of Act Now BC. Adam is also a spokesperson for Whitehall Spirit rowing boats and clubs. He is an ambassador for the Robert Bateman Get to Know Program, an organization that connects hundreds of thousands of young people with nature through direct, hands-on and cutting-edge educational initiatives. Adam was the Honorary Co-chair of the Elk Lake Boathouse Renewal Project and helped to raise $1.3 million to renovate the community facility that houses Canada’s Olympic Rowing Team. In addition to his work with organizations, Adam has worked with thousands of youth in schools across Canada, instilling within our next generation the idea that the “secret to happy living is giving”.
Always eager to take on new challenges, Adam will row across the Atlantic Ocean in December 2011 to advocate for health and wellness and to raise funds for Right To Play.
Adam holds a degree in Geotechnical Engineering and Hydrology from Stanford University. He is a loving husband and proud father who lives in Victoria, BC and Ottawa, ON, Canada.