“My reaction is the same as last year,” the winner commented over the phone from Vancouver Island upon learning the news following last night’s silver anniversary supper at the Ambassador Hotel.  “I’m very honoured, but just like last year I really didn’t think I had the credentials.”

Credentials?  This Slate chap, in an earnest, refreshing and unintentional way, mind you, is taking humility to new heights.  No credentials? Why he had an even better campaign this time around, much of it spent knifing through the lochs of Scotland.

He attended teacher’s college at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and in no time anchored the school’s fledgling rowing troupe.

He claimed the Scottish, British and Belgium university heavyweight singles titles, the latter with a Strathclyde teammate in a doubles race.

He left Strathclyde on a high note, as male athlete of the year.  He was also presented the True Blue Award, as the student-athlete who best combines sport and study.  Such was the impression the school plans to award an annual Ryan Slate award to a promising freshman rower.

“That’s the work of one year and the legacy he left behind,” Ian McFarlane, Kingston Collegiate principal and widely known rowing coach, said in introducing the rower’s ‘credentials’ to the crowd of about 100.

Slate returned to Canada and immediately served notice of his rising status in the sport.

At last July’s U.S. Nationals, he captured the men’s elite single and finished third in doubles.

At the Canadian Henley, the rowers’ Stanley Cup, he added two golds (senior single, senior dash single) to the ones copped the previous year at the same regatta.

“… And that’s about it,” he added sincerely, as if oblivious to the weighty accomplishments of the past 12 months.

Slate, arguably the best rower in the history of the old military schoolhouse across the Causeway, is the fourth rower to collect the Marker cup.  No other sport lays claim to as many.  He joins swimmer Vicki Keith (1986, 1988) as the only two-time recipients.

The other eight finalists vying for the Marker Trophy included sailor John Curtis, wrestler Cleo Ncube, distance runner Braden Novakowski, golfer Brad Revell, ultraman Tony O’Keefe, duathlete Jairus Streight, basketball player Stu Turnbull and javelin thrower, hockey and softball player Kayley Powers.

The Kiwanis kudos is only the latest morsel of glad tidings for Slate, a lanky, chiselled specimen.

As mentioned, he recently attained national-team carded status, making him eligible at last for the roughly $900-per-month in government support.  He’s one of 16 carded Canadian heavyweight rowers at a fiercely competitive training camp.
Indeed the athlete’s path to this point in his career has been unthinkably stellar considering the financial and logistical obstacles he faced.  He warranted federal funding on merit and on principle.

The other surprise takes place in October, when the 27-year-old surrenders his bachelorhood to Candace, the Toronto lassie he met in Scotland.

But those impending nuptials may have inadvertently turned the coming campaign into a crossroads season. He has a doozy of a decision to make.

“My short-term goal is to make either the men’s eight or the men’s pair for this summer’s world championships in Japan,” he said, noting Canada’s decision to send only those two crews.

“Of course, the long-term goal is the 2008 Olympics,” he added.  “But if I don’t make the eight or the pair this year, I’ll have to re-evaluate things.”

“Get on with the rest of your life, so to speak?” suggested the newspaper stiff on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, maybe,” he answered.

“Making the eight or the pair is a difficult challenge.  We sent [crews of] eight, four and two to Athens, so right there’s two Olympic team rowers who won’t be back.  But they’ll all be here at some point, to try.

“I do know that I’m going to go all out, go hard right through to October,” he added.  “I feel more prepared than ever.”