Chariots and Horses: Life Lessons from an Olympic Rower

Jason Dorland is no stranger to competition. As a rower and coach, he's seen his share of races won and lost. But after a devastating performance at the 1988 Olympics, Jason was overwhelmed by a sense of failure—and with small wonder. Winning at all costs, whereby the playing field is seen as a battlefield, is pretty much the industry standard when it comes to motivating elite athletes. That philosophy coloured his own coaching style—until he met someone who coped with the loss of her own Olympic dream, and viewed competition itself, in a different way.

An honest, intimate look at the reality of high-level athletics, Chariots and Horses is more than a sports story. In charting his progress from struggling athlete to an inspirational coach driven to instill a healthy competitive spirit in his rowers, Jason Dorland shows how in sports and in life, it's all about the journey.

Jason Dorland, former Olympic, Commonwealth Games and World Championship rower, coached the Shawnigan Lake School senior boys' rowing crew to four national championships and an unofficial high school world record time, becoming the first person to win the coveted Calder Cleland Memorial Trophy as an athlete and as a coach.

Jason Dorland was born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he attended Ridley College and began his rowing career. From there, he accepted a rowing scholarship to Syracuse University for two years before transferring to the University of Victoria and training with the Canadian National Team. /

A graduate of the Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design in Vancouver, Jason is a designer, keynote presenter and author. He lives with his wife Robyn and family in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he is Director of Rowing at Ridley College. He is also the co-founder, co-owner and creative director of an organic and natural food company, Left Coast Naturals.