JACQUELINE SIMONEAU, ARTISTIC SWIMMING
Years on National Team: 11
Career Highlights: Competing at the Pan Am Games in 2015 in front of a home crowd and qualifying for the Olympics in front of my friends and family was a truly memorable moment in my career. The Olympics in Rio 2016 was also a career highlight and the beginning of my dreams coming true!
Favourite Quote: "Mens sana in corpore sano" / "a healthy mind in a healthy body"
NIKOLA GONCIN, WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
Years on National Team: 11
Favourite Quote: "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
Fun Fact: I am big into snow sports; skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing, snowmobiling etc.
LEX ALBRECHT, CYCLING
Years on National Team: 11
Years on UCI Pro Tour: 9
Fun Fact: I love coffee: making it different ways, exploring cities around the world by scouting out their coolest third wave coffeeshops and sharing and comparing techniques, discoveries and experiences with teammates, friends and family. I love riding motorcycles and I am pretty good at fixing stuff! My dream is to learn how to sail one day.
KAREN PAQUIN, RUGBY
Years on National Team: 7
Career Highlights: My best rugby memory is when we won the semi final against France during the 15s World Cup in 2014. The stadium was full with 18 000 French fans and a handful of Canadians. The game was tough, physical, intense and by the 80th minute, it was ours. It was a very special moment for us and for women's rugby in Canada.
Favourite Quote: "We play better when we smile"
TREVOR HIRSCHFIELD, WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
Years on the National Team: 16 years on the National Team
Career Highlight: 3X Paralympian, Qualified for Tokyo 2020ne
Fun Facts: Father of two, Kohen 2 and Oakley 10months, Turned a storage unit into my gym/court to maintain my training during the lockdown
ANNIE GUGLIA, SKATEBOARD
Term as Athlete Rep: Dec. 2019 - Dec. 2021 (2nd term)
Career Highlights: Winning the National Champion title for Women’s Skateboard Street for 3 years in a row.
Favourite Quote: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? » I absolutely love Mary Oliver.
Victoria Hayward, Softball
Years on National Team: 12
Career Highlight: Qualifying for Tokyo2020 on home soil
Fun Fact: I was the first ever athlete signed to play in the Athlete's Unlimited professional softball league
Motivational Quote: "How you do anything is how you do everything"
Joseph Polossifakis, Fencing
Years on National Team: 9
Favorite accomplishments: 5 time panam games medalist, and 2016 Olympian
Motivational quote: How you do anything is how you do everything
Samuel Pedlow, Beach Volleyball
Years on National Team: national team members since 2010
Career highlight: NORCECA continental champion 2016, Commonwealth Games Silver Medal
Fun Fact: I have two cats (George Harrison and Penny Lane), and collect vinyl records
Favourite Quote: Courage Not Craft
Segun Makinde, Athletics
Years on National Team: 10+
Career Highlights: being named to my 2nd Olympic team
Favourite Quote: "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity"
Natasha Bodnarchuk, Ski Jumping
Years on the National Team: 4
Career Highlight: Top ten in a Summer Grand Prix in Frenstat, Czech Republic.
Fun Fact: I LOVE reading! On top of that (and sometimes even more so) I love to talk about books and find out what others are reading.
Neville Wright, Athletics & Bobsleigh
Years on National Team: 15 years (between 2 sports)
Favourite Career Highlight:
- Competing at my first Olympics in Canada (Vancouver 2010)
- 2man World Cup Gold in Whistler
- World University Games 100m Bronze Medal
Motivational Quote:
- I Can, I Do, I Will (Neville Wright)
- "If There is No Struggle, There is No Progress" Frederick Douglass
Jeremy Hall, Para Rowing
Years on the national team: 3
Career highlight: The A Final at the 2018 World Rowing Championships. Having started rowing less than a year before, it was only my second international event. Despite the lack of experience relative to the competition, I executed the race well and finished with a silver medal.
Fun fact: I won a Canadian National Para Ice Hockey Championship with Team Alberta prior to rowing.
Favourite Quote: Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.
Years on the National Team: 9
Favourite Accomplishment: 2018 Olympian, World Championship Bronze Medalist, National Champion
Career Highlight: Sharing the podium with my brother and teammates for our 3rd place in the relay event at the 2016 World Champs
Favourite Quote: I've failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan
Lanni Marchant, Athletics
Years on National Team: 10