Victoria rowers Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee reached the Olympic and World Championship podiums their way, but their Silver medal in the women’s lightweight double skulls at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro was years in the making.

It all came from humble beginnings. “I came out of the Victoria City Rowing Club to University of Victoria rowing all out of the same boathouse,” Lindsay said. “Elk Lake and that boathouse have been a huge part of my life. I hope I made everybody at the boathouse really proud. I must thank them so much. To have two rowers from the same city and same boathouse on the Olympic podium together is really special and unique.”

An experienced National Team rower, Lindsay had already won World Championship medals with different partners in lightweight double skulls, as well as two World Championships Gold medals in the non-Olympic lightweight single skulls before partnering with Patricia in 2011.

Patricia began rowing in 2009 at the Victoria City Rowing Club and, in 2010, she was selected to the Women’s Eight - Bronze medallists in the Under 23 World Championships. Patricia won World Bronze in the lightweight single skulls in 2011, then moved into lightweight double skulls with Lindsay.

The newly-minted duo won a promising Silver medal at the 2011 World Championships, but failed to make the final at the London 2012 Olympics, winning the B Final to finish seventh overall. Their resolute comeback on the road to Rio took them to the World Championship podium again with a Silver medal in 2014. After narrowly missing the World Championship podium in 2015 with a fourth place finish, Lindsay and Patricia won Gold at the second World Cup stop of 2016 in Lucerne. It was their first World Cup victory together.

Lindsay, who rowed from the bow seat and was the quarterback of the duo, said that every time she asked Patricia to empty her tank, her partner did on courses on rivers, inlets and lakes around the world. Never was that more important than in Rio where, in fifth place at the half-way point of the 2,000-metre final, they put on their patented steely late push to rally for the Silver medal.

The tenacious duo had earned the nickname the Dirty Double, based on their tough and uncompromising style. “We had unwavering belief in ourselves. It was like validation. We were small women, but we knew what we wanted,” Lindsay said. “We were fully committed to each other.”

“It definitely always stays with you and informs who you are. It will always be a part of me,” Patricia said of her rowing career. “I’m very proud to be from Victoria and to be entering my hometown Sports Hall of Fame.”

According to Lindsay, that medal day in Rio was familiar and fitting: “It was gray and raining and we looked at each other and said: ‘Victoria is here with us.’”

Growing up in Saskatchewan, Gerry played a variety of sports but had never heard of squash. It was during his post-doctoral studies in England that he discovered the game and was hooked.

Returning to Canada, he continued to play and also began officiating, taking his first refereeing course in 1975. He became a certified official in 1979 and a national referee in 1983. Embracing the teaching/mentoring side as well, Gerry became a course instructor in 1982 and a National Examiner in 1988.

Gerry first refereed internationally at the World Junior Men’s Championships in1984 and went on to become a World Squash Federation International Referee for 12 years. During that time he officiated multiple times at the Pan American Games, Women’s Worlds, YMG Classic, World Junior Men’s, Men’s Worlds and World Masters Games. He also officiated at the World Junior Women’s, European Teams, and the Tournament of Champions in New York. During these years, he was assigned to three World finals.

Gerry also became involved in organization and administration at the local, provincial and national levels. Although he retired from officiating in 2017, he continues today as a National Instructor and National Examiner.

Over the years, Gerry played tournaments, leagues, ladders and just for the fun of it, with many folk contributing to his development as a player. He particularly credits Stuart Dixon - Squash Pro, club owner, outstanding coach and player - with whom he had many sessions on and off court, both playing and learning about all other aspects of the game.

Gerry made his first appearance in the Canadian Championships in 1978, and has played in every championships since (except when abroad on study leave from his position as Professor in the University of Victoria Faculty of Chemistry Faculty). It was retirement that gave Gerry the time to play more and - more importantly - get fitter, an absolute requirement for top level play.

Gerry has played in most biannual World Masters Squash Championships since 1994 and all quadrennial World Masters Games since 2001. He added the US Championships in 2009, winning Gold in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. In 2015, he won Gold in the European Masters competition and also played his first British Open, winning the Bronze. Over the past three decades, Gerry has won 19 national and international Gold medals, along with 12 Silver and 9 Bronze.

In 2000, Squash BC recognized Gerry with the Jack Larson Trophy for all-round contribution to squash in BC and has since twice recognized his achievements with the Ernie Rogers Bowl for the best record in national and international competition (2011, 2013). Gerry was a finalist for the 2014 Sport BC Master Athlete of the Year award and was listed as one of the “100 contributors to the game of squash in Canada” in the program of the 2015 Squash Canada Centennial Dinner. Still, the reward he treasures most is the joy of playing and the camaraderie of a wonderful community of fellow enthusiasts.