Maxwell Lattimer

Biography

Growing up in Vancouver, Maxwell Lattimer was in the city during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and was overwhelmed by the feeling of national pride and the realization that he wanted to be more than just a spectator. He got his first chance to represent Canada at the 2012 World Rowing U23 Championships in the lightweight four before moving into the lightweight double sculls for the 2013 U23 Worlds. He moved up to the senior ranks in 2014, competing in two World Cups and the World Rowing Championships in the lightweight four. 

In 2015, he and the lightweight four, dubbed the “northern lights”, won gold at the Pan Am Games in Toronto and secured an Olympic berth for Rio 2016 with their 11th place finish at the world championships. Lattimer has said the latter was the most stress he has ever experienced as three years of training came down to one race to see if they would get to train for the biggest competition in the world. He made his Olympic debut in Rio with the lightweight four. 

After not competing internationally in 2017, Lattimer returned to the World Cup circuit in 2018 in the lightweight double sculls with his younger brother Aaron’s former rowing partner, Patrick Keane. They posted two fourth-place finishes in 2018 and another in 2019, when they missed the podium by less than a second. In 2019, Lattimer had his career-best result at the world championships as they finished third in the B final. In May 2021, they qualified the lightweight double sculls for Tokyo 2020 by winning the final qualification regatta. Lattimer and Keane finished fourth in the Olympic B final to place 10th overall. 

Representing the University of British Columbia at the 2013 CIS Championships, Lattimer brought home three medals for the Thunderbirds, winning silver in lightweight single sculls, silver in the eight, and gold in lightweight four. 

A Little More About Maxwell

Getting into the Sport: Started rowing in 2006 at Vancouver College, following his older brothers because he loved watching them race in high school… Inspired by rowing coach and mentor Barney Williams who helped develop the mental side of what it means to commit to a single goal in sport… Outside Interests: Graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science… Enjoys bird watching and is an amateur ornithologist… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: “Keep the fridge empty”…