From Burlington Bay to the Olympics Mel LaForme has travelled the world rowing for Hamilton and Canada.
He began his career as a high school rower for Westdale Secondary School and later the University of Guelph.
LaForme excelled at the sport and was named to four Olympic teams including the boycott year of 1980. He competed in the 1976 and 1988 Olympics and was a spare in 1984.
He won a gold and a silver at the 1983 Pan Am games plus a silver in 1979.
LaForme was a member of Canada’s World Championship Quad in 1985 and was a bronze medalist in each of the next two years. He also won in the Quad at the Royal British Henley.
LaForme, who was inducted into the University of Guelph Hall of Fame in 2002, continues to compete at the masters level and has won world gold medals in doubles and quad.