Dan O'Sullivan (1998)

In some ways, we can thank Dan O'Sullivan for the legion of Victoria rowers that have won great acclaim on the world stage as Olympic medallists. He was one of the seminal influences in the creation of the sport through the James Bay Athletic Association in the 1880's. Dan was the stroke rower on JBAA's "Big Four" crew that laid claim to six straight North Pacific Association of Amateur Oarsmen titles beginning in 1895. He went on to compete in singles and doubles events but his main efforts were in coaching. Throughout his 36 years of coaching and sporting determination, he and the "Bays" dominated rowing in the Pacific Northwest and they were legendary in the sport across the country at the time of his death in 1933.