Brock University Athletics

Mary is the associate coach for Brock men’s and women’s rowing and has been coaching with Brock since 2017. She led the team at many levels and currently leads the women’s team.  

She has led Brock crews to numerous Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) medals, including, most recently in 2025, the women’s eight to silver at the national championships. In 2022, Rao was named OUA Women’s Coach of the Year.  

Internationally, Rao has coached at the Junior, Under-23, and University (FISU) World Championships. A highlight includes a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships in the men’s lightweight quad. She has also led provincial teams, notably the 2022 Canada Games team, to six gold medals.   

Rao is performance coach certified and graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She was a student-athlete at McMaster University and a member of the Leander Rowing Club.