Queen's Cycling's Henry Dowd was named the Queen's Varsity Clubs Student-Athlete Leadership Award recipient at the 2022-23 Colour Awards.

This award recipient played a significant role this past year in ensuring their program continued to move forward in a positive direction and that the sport could continue. Following COVID, the challenges presented to his sport have been significant and this individual did not allow this to dissuade him. He was committed to ensuring the sport continued to exist within the Ontario University landscape and quite frankly without his passion, commitment and leadership, the sport would have seen a third year without any competitions.  
 
Early on in the spring of 2022, he advised the department of the possibility that the long-time organizer of their sport governing body was stepping down. With no governing body and clear group or person to move it forward, he recognized that he needed to act. He and the Club took matters into their own hands and began to plan for a late October or early November competition. 
 
The team managed to successfully host the first U-CUP competition since Fall 2019, hosting a total of 46 athletes from 11 different institutions. This Student Leader continues to serve as a positive role model for other athletes by consistently exemplifying exceptional leadership skills, work ethic, enthusiasm, and a strong love for the sport of cycling. We look forward to following his success after his time here at Queen's University. 
 
I am honoured to present this year's Varsity Club Student-Athlete Leadership Award to Henry Dowd.