HIGH ACHIEVERS: John Hawes had a marathon career in modern pentathlon

By Martin Cleary

John David Hawes had a unique and fulfilling journey through the Canadian amateur sports system.

As an accomplished university and international athlete, he was a two-time Summer Olympian, but in two completely different sports.

As a coach, he immersed himself for more than 45 years in a sport most people would never recognize, but he had the full respect of his athletes, who were guided by his “excellence, discipline and an unwavering commitment to high performance,” according to Melanie McCann, a two-time Canadian Olympian in modern pentathlon who was based in Ottawa with Hawes during her runs to the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Hawes, who lived in Stittsville and was a cherished member of the Canadian and international modern pentathlon communities, recently passed away. He was 75.

“John devoted his life to modern pentathlon, first as an accomplished athlete and later as a coach, leader and trusted mentor, whose influence reached far beyond Canada’s borders,” McCann wrote in a touching tribute to the life of her former coach.

Born in Dorval, PQ, and raised in Pointe Claire, PQ, Hawes was a standout backstroke and freestyle swimmer at McGill University as he earned his BSc degree in 1972 and a diploma in education the following year.

He was named McGill’s male athlete of the year for 1970-71 and 1971-72 and competed in the CIAU national university swimming championships four consecutive years. In his final season, Hawes sparked McGill to its first-ever CIAU national title, set four CIAU meet records and won three gold medals to capture swimmer-of-the-meet and All-Canadian honours. He also broke 13 McGill records in his career.

At the World University Games in Moscow, he captured the bronze medal in the men’s 200-metre backstroke. He also earned bronze in the same race at the 1971 Pan Am Games in Cali.

At the same time, he was a member of Canada’s national men’s swimming team, a position he held from 1966-73. Hawes qualified for the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics and placed 24th in the men’s 200-metre backstroke, which was his only race.

In 1973, Hawes changed sports and took his swimming skills into modern pentathlon, a five-sport competition, which was completed by fencing, pistol shooting, equestrian show jumping and running. (Since the 2024 Paris Olympics, pentathlon has replaced show jumping with an obstacle course race.)

At the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, Hawes represented Canada in modern pentathlon, where he finished 43rd in the individual event with 4,534 points. The 200-metre freestyle swim was the highlight for him as he posted the second-fastest time in the field of 47 athletes from 17 nations. In the team event, he was part of Canada’s 13th-place finish.

In the lead-up to the Olympics, Hawes competed in the 1974 and 1975 world championships and earned the most points in swimming as the fastest athlete in the pool both years.

When Hawes turned to coaching in modern pentathlon and swimming, he watched his son Matthew find success in the pool.

Matthew, an accomplished backstroke swimmer like his father, won 34 national titles and broke six Canadian records, while swimming for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Ravens of Carleton University Swim Club (ROCS).

John Hawes was the owner and co-head coach at ROCS, which was a great benefit to Ottawa-based swimmers, pentathletes and triathletes.

His coaching career spanned five decades, including serving as national team head coach from 2008-16 and the Ottawa Modern Pentathlon Club head coach for the past 22 years.

Hawes, who also was a running and shooting coach, received a lifetime coaching award at the 2012 Ottawa Sports Awards dinner.

Read More: Father and son both winners at Ottawa Sports Awards

In 1983, he coached Lynn Chornobrywy Seguin to the women’s title at the world modern pentathlon championships.

“John was the coach who not only believed in me, but made me who I was and am now,” Seguin wrote in a social media posting. “He made me a world champion and inspired me to be a coach. I am very sad and very grateful.”

McCann added Hawes was noted for his many positive characteristics.

“John was recognized internationally for his calm leadership, integrity and generosity,” McCann added. “Fiercely competitive, yet deeply humble, he brought innovation, structure and a remarkable sense of humour to every team he led.

“He guided athletes from their first experiences in the sport to Olympic competition, while also sharing his knowledge freely with coaches, officials and competitors around the world. Whether advancing high-performance sport with Pentathlon Canada or inspiring young athletes and triathletes through the ROCS Swim Club, John believed in the transformative power of sport at every level.

“John’s legacy will endure through the countless athletes, coaches and colleagues whose lives he touched as well as through the standards, programs and culture of excellence he helped build within modern pentathlon. Above all, he will be remembered for his loyalty, humility and integrity, qualities that earned him the admiration and friendship of the international sporting community.”

As a gesture to inspire and support future national pentathletes, the Hawes family invites supporters to make a donation to Pentathlon Canada at PentathlonCanada.ca/Support.

WORLD UNIFIED TITLES FOR KEVIN TOBIN, TOSHKA BESHARAH

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The world sprint canoe kayak and paracanoe championships are only two days old, but Kevin Tobin of the Ottawa River Canoe Club and Payton Dicks of the Cheema Aquatic Club in Waverly, N.S., have already experienced memories to last a lifetime.

At the opening ceremony for the worlds in Poznan, Poland, on Tuesday, Tobin and Dicks were selected as Team Canada’s flag bearers.

On the first day of the championships Wednesday, Tobin and Dicks were crowned world champions in their respective men’s C2 and women’s K2 Unified races. The Unified race brings together a national-level able-bodied paddler with an athlete with intellectual disabilities.

Tobin, who has autism and ADHD, teamed with Nikita Ciudin of Calgary to win the men’s Unified race with a 200-metre time of 57.83 seconds. They finished 9.16 seconds ahead of Poland’s Szymon Klonowski and Maciej Antoniuk in the eight-boat straight final.

In the women’s Unified race, Dicks, who also has autism, went stroke-for-stroke with Rideau Canoe Club’s Toshka Besharah and produced a winning 200-metre time of 1:06.04. They were 6.5 seconds ahead of runners-up Leona Johs and Phoebe Duffy of Germany.

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The opening day of the world championships mainly focused on qualifying heats in a variety of races.

Sophia Jensen of the Cascades Canoe Club had the fastest time from the three heats in the women’s C1 500 metres. She powered her way to an unmatched time of 2:18.33 to qualify for the semifinals. China’s Xina Jiang was a close second in the overall time standings at 2:18.44.

Zoe Wojtyk of Rideau and Katie Vincent placed third in their women’s C2 500-metre heat in 2:04.56 for their ticket to the semifinals.

Alongside Michelle Russell and Riley Melanson, Rideau’s Callie Loch and Besharah were seventh in their women’s K4 500-metre heat. They advanced to the semis, but with the second slowest time.

Brianna Hennessy of Ottawa River had the fastest time of two heats in the women’s para KL1, covering 200 metres in 58.11 seconds.

TWO LOCAL CANOEISTS WIN MORE GOLD AT CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Rideau Canoe Club’s Isaac Finkelstein and Carleton Place Canoe Club’s Luka Ribero produced gold medals for the second consecutive day at the Canadian canoe kayak and paracanoe championships at the Rideau Canoe Club.

After winning the junior men’s C1 500 metres on Tuesday, Finkelstein doubled that distance and captured the C1 1,000 metres in four minutes, 1.793 seconds. His margin of victory was a comfortable 3.715 seconds.

Finkelstein prepared for his solo race by placing second with Jeffrey Sun in the open men’s C2 200 metres in 38.718 seconds.

Ribero, the men’s U16 C1 1,000-metre champion on the first day, proved he’s equally fast over 500 metres, when he joined Carleton Place teammate Devlin Payne to post an unbeatable C2 time of 1:57.714 for a 1.710-second win.

Ottawa and area clubs also won seven other medals:

· Alexander Hoferek and Ryan Naroditsky, Rideau, gold, open men’s K2 200 metres, 32.774 seconds.

· Peter Bradley, Rideau, gold, senior men’s C1 1,000 metres, 3:56.567.

· Nathan Goodall, Ottawa River, gold, U16 men’s C1 6,000 metres, 31:53.031.

· Keisa Bleiler and Ruby Muhl, Rideau, silver, open women’s C2 200 metres, 46.106 seconds.

· Kate Osborne, Rideau, silver, junior women’s K1 1,000 metres, 4:13.323.

· Addie Masson, Jane Schlosser, Kinsley Daniels and Elizabeth Holtzman, Rideau, bronze, U16 women’s IC4 500 metres, 2:03.661.

· Daniel Seely, Rideau, bronze, U16 men’s K1 6,000 metres, 28:01.492.