2008 Lucas Oleniuk

Lucas Oleniuk

Lucas Oleniuk is a 30-year-old staff photographer with the Toronto Star.

Lucas Oleniuk

Lucas Oleniuk

His roots lie in Saskatoon where he started working as a photographer with the University of Saskatchewan Sheaf Newspaper while pursuing a degree in literature.

He made his his fourth trip to Beijing In August for his first Olympic assignment. Our cover photo is his capture of a moment of unrestrained joy for the US?Gold Medal men’s basketball team. The same exhilaration experienced by Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (below in red) celebrating her hurdles Gold Medal with Aussie competitor Sally McLellan.

Not confined to sports photography, you saw Lucas’ work on the front pages of the Toronto Star in the days following Hurricane Katrina, his second major storm disaster coverage. He was also in Haiti in 2004 documenting the aftermath of Tropical Storm Jeanne there.

Lucas discussed his work as a photographer in disaster situations as guest speaker for a gathering of students, staff and faculty members of the University of Guelph-Humber last year.