Rowed for UBC winning silver at '56 Olympics and silver at '58 Commonwealth Games. Since 1977 trained and coached UBC rowers to National Team level and ultimately to the Olympics and Olympic medals. He was the "stepping stone" leading to a higher profile for UBC rowers and UBC rowing.
Dick McClure, a native of Comox on Vancouver Island, BC, was one of the 'famous' rowers during the Frank Read era at UBC. While a UBC Engineering student McClure was a member of the 1955 Junior Varsity eights that were gold medal winners at the Western Sprints in San Diego. The following year he was #2 seat on the silver medal winning UBC eights at the 1956 Olympics. In 1958 he was a member of the UBC coxless four who won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Wales.
Graduating from UBC in Mechanical Engineering in 1959, Dick turned to the world of a professional engineer and business administrator. Since 1977, Dick devoted his time and life to his long enduring passion of rowing. Over these years Dick was at the centre of an extraordinary development program for scullers at Burnaby Lake. Initially Dick was the volunteer Boatman at the Burnaby Lake Rowing Club. "He was the backbone of the club" says former UBC and Olympic rower Tricia Smith. "He was always there to help…taught the newer people…repaired boats…generally provided the club for training. He took people under his wing and created the stage for rowers." He managed the facility and its equipment plus was a coach and inspiration for hundreds of scullers, all on a volunteer basis.
Beginning in the early 1980s and for forty years, McClure spent more of his time coaching, advising, educating and supporting on a six and half day per week volunteer basis. "He has been generally instrumental in the strength of rowing in this area," states Tricia Smith. Among the beneficiaries of his coaching have been the elite athletes including those who had rowed at UBC, were presently at UBC or were future UBC rowers. Many of these were aspiring or incumbent National Team members. One such Olympic rower, Kathleen Heddle, saw her medal-winning career blossom under the guidance of McClure after she had finished UBC. "He had a big influence on me as a rower" offers Kathleen who is a big Dick McClure supporter. Dr. John Helliwell knew Dick and the fact he treated sculling and rowing as a schooling for life. "His coaching style is to treat his scullers as equals, to him and to each other, all partners learning together. If scullers do not have that eternal drive, they do not seek Dick's advice and they would not be able to benefit most from it…they sense the technical insight that lies behind his quick but precise comments and advice. He shows, by word and example, that the lessons from sport include unselfish caring for and sharing with others."
Dick was able to compliment the UBC rowing experience. "Those who had finished UBC and who loved rowing would go to Dick at Burnaby Lake," recounts the former UBC rower Heddle. This included not just the elite rowers but the recreational and masters rowers as well. According to Dr. Helliwell "They come to Dick with the will and he is often able to offer a remedy by way of training and technique. His eye is unerring, his dedication endless."
UBC rowing coach Mike Pearce feels that Dick was a big influence on rowers who have gone on to sculling. "He was the stepping stone from UBC to the National Team." states Pearce. "Without his help the success might not have been possible. He was a huge influence in this area." UBC rowers who have gone on to the National Team and Olympic medal fame and who have been coached by McClure include- Mike Rascher, Pat Turner, Brenda Taylor, Kathleen Heddle, Megan Delahanty, Laryssa Biesenthal and Tracey Duncan. However the fact Dick was so supportive of beginners and older scullers as well as the Olympic hopefuls showed that his interest went much further than a desire to add more Olympic medals to Canada's credit. At the same time the Olympic medals that Dick facilitated, particularly through his work as the development coach for the National Women's Team, meant a higher profile for UBC rowers and UBC rowing.
In 1996 McClure was brought in to coach the Canadian lightweight men's doubles team for the Olympics and is regularly invited to give coaching clinics throughout the country as well as assist National Teams in other countries. "Rowing has changed" states Helliwell. "Today UBC crews are the breeder crews for the National Team. Training is required for both undergrads and for after university. People like Dick fill the need for the latter."
1999 was a big year for Dick as he was awarded the National 3-M Coach of the Year Award as well as inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder.
Regarding the volunteer work of Dick McClure in a UBC context, John Helliwell states "If ever the spirit of Frank Read lives on - he is it!"
This Inductee is also in the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
