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 (jasondorland.com) and author. He lives with his wife Robyn (robynmeagher.com) and family in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he is Director of Rowing at Ridley College (ridleyrowing.com). He is also the co-founder, co-owner and creative director of an organic and natural food company, Left Coast Naturals (leftcoastnaturals.com).

Jason Dorland's profile page

p class=review_text>“At the risk of being arrested by the cliché police, I consider [Chariots and Horses] to be a ‘must read' for coaches and rowers—especially coaches. —Brad Alan Lewis, Olympic Champion, rowing and author of Assault on Lake Casitas

p class=“review text>”You don’t have to be a rower to identify with Jason Dorland. You don’t even have to be an Olympian or an elite athlete. If you’ve experienced the challenges of s port competition at any level, you will likely identify with, and be inspired by, his story. . . . His struggle to transform his impressive credentials and experience into a positive legacy so he can coach and mentor young rowers is candid and courageous. Insterspersed with behind-the-scenes look at high-level sport is a love story . . . making the book an engaging read for athletes and coaches of all sports, and particularly relevant in this Olympic year.” —Joan Dixon, Impact Magazine

p class=review_text>“I would encourage anyone who feels the need to own every rowing book like I do, to go out and purchase a copy [of Chariots and Horses] . . . I tore through the first 100 pages without taking a break and only stopped to allow myself to read some other books before I went to bed.” —Eric Lamontagne, Be Smart. Row Hard.

p class=review_text>Dorland gets it. Winning is only one part of the sporting adventure. His captivating story will empower you to use sport as a catalyst for the next generation. —Adam Kreek, Olympic Champion, rowing

p class=review_text>“Jason Dorland beat himself up for years after losing his Olympic race and he doesn't want to see others do the same. —Neil Stevens, The Canadian Press

p class=review_text>“It is a deeply personal account of high-performance athletic competition and the long journey to putting that experience in perspective . . . This is a book that should be read by coaches and competitors regardless of their sport—in fact, it will be valuable for anyone who has to confront the challenge of setting goals, staying motivated and inspiring high-performance athletes to reach their highest potential.” —Justin Longo

p class=review_text>“Not your typical story about a young man finding his way through sport and his Olympic dream. Inspiring.” —Tricia Smith, Olympic rower

p class=review_text>“It takes courage to examine the anatomy of a failure and use it as the seed of greatness and fulfilment. [Jason’s story] is not only honourable, but highly inspirational.” —Hayley Wickenheiser, Olympic Champion, women’s hockey

p class=“review text>“Dorland gives a raw and open account of his experiences as an athlete [and] then his years of torment that ensued when he constantly relived what he perceived as absolute failure.” —WorldRowing.com

p class=review_text>“Jason Dorland has written a deeply personal and brutally honest account of the highs and lows of growing up within a ‘winning-is-everything’ sport culture. His journey from athlete to Olympian to retiree to coach is intense and fascinating. This transformative story of one man’s struggle to conquer his own demons in order to better the lives of those he teaches is as remarkable as it is inspiring.” —Mark Tewksbury, Olympic Champion, swimming

p class=review_text>Jason Dorland has written an insightful and significant book. As in Shakespeare, the wisdom of the book is revealed in the conversations or asides between him and Robyn Meagher. Robyn, an Olympic runner, provides Jason his awakening, teaching the world-class rower to get a grip. To pull together is, really, to pull oneself together. —Ron MacLean, Hockey Night in Canada

p class=review_text>“An honest and emotionally raw account of how his life was ambushed by failure. But the story does not end with defeat.” —Cheryl Clock, St. Catharines Standard

p class=“review text>”[Chariots and Horses] is not a handbook in the art of coaching rowing, but it has many different levels about how to handle failures (yours and others), how to recognise and overcome your demons, and how to inspire and give young people a healthy approach to competing and keeping the spirit high even though they are not the first ones to cross the finish line.” —Göran R. Buckhorn, Hear the Boat Sing blog

Chariots and Horses: Life Lessons From an Olympic Rower

Dorland’s autobiography describes the ugly side of competitive sport where the motivation to race comes from hatred of competitors and the belief that winning is the only acceptable result. Dorland is a Canadian Olympian who once equated anything less than winning to failure. So when Dorland made the Canadian Olympic team and raced to sixth in the final of the men’s eight at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, he then viewed the result as absolute failure. Ultimately the “failure” shaped his future and dealing with the consequences inspired this book. Dorland changed his coaching style from a win-at-all-costs regime to one that does not mention the word ‘win’.

chariots and horses

by Andreawa

I've been an athlete myself when I was a teenager and I saw these two different ways to look at competitions and motivation, especially in parents and coaches, as the competitors were still very young. Chariots and Horses is a great book and captures both attitudes very well. It's great to get a look through a coaches eyes and see the motivations for their behaviour.

Chariots and Horses

by BIggy

Though I know many of the people mentioned in Jason's book and this made it very appealing to me, this frank and open confession of Jason's experiences with rowing specifically and athletics in general make it a "must read" for anyone involved in sport, especially anyone currently coaching today. His book is a very enjoyable and stimulating read.

An honour and a privilege

by Sheila17Mary

Jason's honesty in telling his story is inspiring. We are not all willing to look at our warts along with our successes. The love that Jason found in Robyn and the love he found for himself through her is heartwarming. But that Jason then took what he had learned and changed how he coached and thus the impact of coaching on his athletes, makes this story more than just a personal reflection. This story has real meaning for training and coaching and life. I am honoured that Jason asked me to be a part of the development of this book. As the first professional editor to work on the story, I learned a lot about coming to terms with the past, success and failure. Thanks for the privilege, Jason.

Chariots & Horses

by BJR9600

This is not just a tale of success and failure that you might read from many athletes. Jason bares all and lets everyone in to the psyche of an elite athlete who has given his life to his sport and the toll it takes mentally and physically... and that is just in the first few chapters! Where this book really grabs you is how honest and raw he is. He pulls no punches and is the hardest on himself. Whether you are a musician, artist or athlete, dealing with the pressure of your own expectations - let alone others - Jason's story allows you to ask yourself the tough questions and lets you know that you are not the only feeling what you are feeling.