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Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski

Rowing Athlete- Clagary

Class of 2026

Born on March 31, 1999, in Montreal, Quebec, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski proudly calls Alberta home. After growing up as a competitive alpine skier, a broken leg ended her skiing career and led her to discover rowing in 2014 at the Calgary Rowing Club. She quickly proved to be a natural talent, rising through the ranks to become one of Alberta’s top sweep rowers.

Kasia’s defining moment came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021), where she helped Canada’s Women’s Eight capture Olympic Gold — Canada’s first Olympic rowing gold since 2008 and the first for Canadian women since 1996. Her achievement was especially remarkable as it followed a serious cycling accident just weeks before the Games that required surgery to repair a broken collarbone. Through determination and resilience, she fought back to reclaim her seat in the boat.

She followed that success at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, earning Olympic Silver in the Women’s Eight and becoming one of only a few Canadian women in the past 30 years to win multiple Olympic medals in rowing.

Major International Medals

  • Olympic Gold – Tokyo 2020 (Women’s 8+)
  • Olympic Silver – Paris 2024 (Women’s 8+)
  • World Rowing Championships Bronze – 2022 (Women’s 8+)

Additional Achievements

  • Royal Canadian Henley Gold – 2015 (Women’s 8+)
  • Royal Canadian Henley Gold – 2015 (Women’s 4-)
  • Royal Canadian Henley Gold – 2016 (Women’s 8+)
  • Royal Canadian Henley Gold – 2016 (Women’s 4-)
  • 4th Place – 2019 World Championships (Women’s 8+)
  • 5th Place – 2023 World Championships (Women’s 8+)

Beyond her medal record, Kasia is known for her humility and commitment to Alberta’s rowing community. She regularly supports local regattas, mentors young athletes, and serves as a powerful role model for aspiring rowers across the province.

Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski’s legacy is defined by Olympic excellence, resilience, and her dedication to growing the sport in Alberta and across Canada. Her induction into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame honors both her international success and her lasting impact at home.