Martin Bielz

Martin Bielz was born in a German-speaking community in Sighișoara, Romania, with him gaining a doctorate in education (sports science) in Leipzig. Bielz was an accomplished rower who competed in the coxless fours and coxed fours at the 1960 Roma Olympics, reaching the semi-finals in the latter. In 1970 he moved to Canada where he spent the rest of his life but still maintained a close relationship with the Romanian rowing team, coaching them at the 1972 München Olympics, and serving as the team director for the 1976 Montréal Games.

From his arrival in Canada Bielz played a pivotal role in the advancement of high-performance sport in the country. He first worked as a professor at a university in București, Romania, before becoming the chair of the École française internationale de Vancouver, and the Lycée Claudel of Ottawa in Canada. Bielz was twice honoured with the Chevalier and Officer de l’Ordre des palmes académiques in France in 2006 and 2013.