Meet Your Coach
From National Champion to International Coach
Coach Zak’s journey didn’t start on the sidelines. As a former collegiate national champion, he understands the physical and mental toll required to earn a varsity seat.
After retiring from competitive rowing, he dedicated his career to the science behind sports performance. He is a registered high performance rowing coach and earned a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Sport Science. This academic foundation—combined with a decade of coaching at the club, university, and international levels—allows him to offer a level of precision rarely found in private coaching.
Zak has coached at the highest levels of the sport, including serving as a coach with Canada’s Under-23 World Championship team. He has guided crews to national championship victories in Australia and Canada, and helped 46 athletes compete for their country internationally.
Credentials
Coached multiple Under-23 and Under-19 World Championship crews
2x Coach of the Year Recipient
2022 Rowing Canada President’s Award Winner
University national champion and former national team athlete
Coached crews to collegiate national championships in Australia (2018) and Canada (2022)
Academic & Professional Qualifications
Master's Degree in Sport Science
RCA Performance Coach Certification
Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) — Coaching Association of Canada
Advanced Coaching Diploma (ACD)
Registered Kinesiologist
Certified Personal Trainer
International Society of Sports Nutrition
“The rowers I’ve watched go the furthest aren’t always the ones who were the most talented at 15. They’re the ones who had a plan, trusted the process, and kept showing up.”
Athlete Experiences
"Working with Zak played a huge role in my development as a rower and in getting me to the varsity level. His coaching style balances technical precision with constant encouragement, which helped me build both confidence and consistency. He always pushed me to be better while supporting me through the process, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without that."
Samaya“I came to Coach Zak not really knowing where to start. Within weeks I had a training plan, a nutrition guide, and — for the first time — a real understanding of how recruitment actually works. I had two Division I offers before Christmas of my Grade 12 year."
Emily — now rowing Varsity in the United States"Even while rowing at Harvard, I made sure to spend my summers working with Zak. The collegiate season is incredibly demanding, but training with Zak in the off-season allowed me to fine-tune my technique and maintain my edge. He creates an environment that is both highly competitive and deeply supportive, which was exactly what I needed to return to school sharp and ready to execute."
Jordan"As parents, we didn't know where to even begin with the scholarship process. Coach Zak walked us through every step — from what coaches look for in a recruiting video to how to compare scholarship packages. He's the real deal, and our daughter's results prove it."
The Thornton Family, parents of a current Varsity rower
"I started working with Zak as a junior athlete, and he completely transformed my trajectory in the sport. He took the time to build my foundational technique and gave me the competitive mindset needed to race against the best. Zak’s high standards & belief in my potential are the main reasons I ended up rowing at Cal-Berkeley. If you are a junior athlete with big goals, Zak knows exactly how to get you there."
Matt"Honestly, I didn't think a scholarship was on the table for someone like me. Coach Zak saw something I didn't, built a plan around it, and held me accountable every step of the way. I'm now rowing for a programme I used to watch on YouTube."
Marcus — scholarship recipient