SASKATOON — Cameron Baerg recalled the surreal feeling of being inside the Olympic Village with thousands of international athletes when he suited up for Team Canada in 2004 in Athens.
“It is pretty much mind-numbing in some cases,” Baerg told SaskToday after being named part of the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 on Tuesday, April 14, at Great Western Brewery in Saskatoon.
“Being there with all of these amazing athletes from around the world in different sports, as an athlete from Saskatchewan, I felt lucky and privileged to get into this sport.”
Baerg will join Regina’s Chris Getzlaf (football), Otto Huber from Lipton (posthumous, golf), and Humboldt’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton (athletics) in the athlete category.
Dr. Marlys Misfeldt of Melfort (sports medicine and science) and Saskatoon’s Ross Wilson (basketball) are in the builder category. The 2011-14 Saskatoon Valkyries Football Club will be inducted as a team.
“It's definitely a very big honour to be inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. I definitely feel privileged. To get this recognition is unbelievable,” said Baerg.
Baerg was part of Team Canada’s silver-medal-winning men’s coxless four rowing team at the Athens Olympics, losing gold by eight-tenths of a second to Great Britain.
He said he met many great athletes and other delegates who inspired him and experienced the spirit of sportsmanship at the highest level of competition.
“No matter if you're winning or losing, you're always congratulating and encouraging your competitors to get better, and they encourage you, too. That's something I really liked about it,” he added.
Baerg said rowing has evolved significantly over the years, becoming more data-driven in how athletes train and approach the sport.
“Probably [there] hasn't been as much improvement necessarily on the boats themselves. The attitude where I grew up with, eating peanut butter jam sandwiches between workouts,” Baerg said with a smile.
“Now, you're getting physios, and people are getting protein shakes in between workouts supplied by an organization. Stuff that really changed things, that’s been a good thing.”
He said rowing has gained more traction in the province in recent years, with Saskatchewan Rowing promoting the sport in many high schools to increase participation in the junior program.
“We get a lot of high school students. Rowing is for all ages, skill levels, and sports. It can be great for cross-training and building stamina and strength for whatever you do,” said Baerg.
“You could be a football player and do rowing in the offseason. Or, a track runner and do rowing. It's good for developing all sorts of skills and balance.”
He added that rowing is growing in the province, with high schools a great place to start training the next generation of Canada’s Olympians.
