Growing up in Crimea, Ukraine, Oleksii Lupan spent much of his childhood immersed in sports—tennis, soccer, and swimming filled his days. But everything changed in 2014, when Crimea was occupied by Russia. That same year, Oleksii and his family relocated to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, in search of safety and a new start.

Wanting to keep his sons active, Oleksii’s father encouraged him and his brother to try rowing. What began as an experiment soon turned into a commitment. The brothers trained together in a double scull, sharing both the challenge and the camaraderie of learning a new sport.

After several years, both were ready for something different, but rowing had left its mark. In 2019, Oleksii joined a local rowing club where the competitive spirit and tight-knit community reignited his drive. It was in the winter of 2020, as training grew tougher and the stakes got higher.

“For years, my coach was telling me that I didn’t have the genetics for rowing, and it’s not the sport for me (I’m short and not too big),” says Oleksii. “But I kept rowing, and still believe I am capable!”

On February 24^th, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Oleksii was forced to go to Austria to meet up with his mom, who was on vacation at the time.

His passion for rowing did not leave him, even while undergoing major changes in his life and environment. Oleksii tried rowing in Vienna and says, “It felt like a whole different universe. I went from 1980s boats to new clean boats. The coaches were understanding and felt like my friends. It opened a new reality for me, one where I started enjoying the sport even more than I thought I could.”

In September 2022, Oleksii and his family made another big move, this time across the world to Kelowna, British Columbia. As they settled into their new life in Canada, Oleksii once again turned to rowing. By April 2023, he had joined the Kelowna Rowing Club, eager to stay connected to the sport he loved.

Right away, he found a warm and welcoming community. For the next year, rowing became a meaningful hobby, but less competitive.

In 2024, Oleksii attended the Rowing BC Provincial Championships. At the event, a coach approached him and offered him a spot rowing at a university. “Even though I couldn’t accept the offer because of my international status, and the complication with tuition fees, the idea of rowing at university seemed very cool!”

Not only that, Oleksii realized his potential. In talks with his coach Alex Cruickshanks, he decided to take rowing more seriously and began making sacrifices to make his dream a reality. In July, they began preparations for his first serious regatta, rowing in a single at the 2024 RCA National Rowing Championships with the help of Leslie Manders, an influential member at Kelowna Rowing.

“I’m so grateful to Alex and Leslie for organizing it and making it happen for me,” he says, reflecting on the support that made the opportunity possible.

But chasing this dream came with sacrifice. To afford the cost of attending the regatta, Oleksii sold his car—proof of just how much the sport meant to him. His hard work and determination paid off, and he placed in the top 10 among U19 rowers in Canada.

He channelled that result as motivation to keep training and reaching new levels in the sport. In his freezing garage, Oleksii trained non-stop throughout the entire winter, all by himself on a Concept 2 ergometer. “I was working in a freezing meat department fridge 40 hours a week, so I remember that I was getting sick quite a bit from the constant cold. So, I quit that job and started doing door-to-door sales to focus more on rowing.”

This dedication turned his erg time from 6:44 to 6:31 in six months.

To this day, Oleksii keeps making sacrifices to make his rowing dream a reality. One day, he hopes to see himself as an Olympic champion, placing a maple leaf on his oar.

In order to keep pursuing his rowing career, Oleksii is hoping to attend the Canada Cup in London, Ontario, this August. Racing in the Men’s Single and Men’s Eight, Oleksii hopes to be able to attend the event and showcase all his hard work!

Help Oleksii Attend Canada Cup: DONATE HERE  

Donations will support his travel, boat and rental gear, coaching support, accommodation, and meals.